Taste Tester
by Keyda841
Summary: Sakura is sacrificed to an 'evil god' after getting lost and seeking help from a creepy village. Instead of getting killed or eaten, this 'god' takes her back home. One thing: he's not a 'god' at all but something much worse. Full summary inside! GaaxSaku
1. Summary

**(A/N: Yes! I'm finally starting a new story! I know I haven't finished most of my other ones but this idea popped into my head and it was too good to let go. So here's my new story! It's GaaxSaku fic so get ready! Oh and I really don't like this summary so if you'd prefer to not even read it, then don't and just go to chapter one. Thank you!!!)**

**Taste Tester**

**Summary:** After getting lost and abandoned, Sakura arrives at a strange village that welcomes her a bit too warmly. The village is creepy with ancient rituals and beliefs. For one, they believe they're until the protection of an evil god and they must sacrifice a human being once a month to keep that god happy and willing. Sakura fell right into their laps. Instead of offering one of their own, they use her as the sacrifice. They tie her to a post on a cliff edge and leave her for the night.

As far as evil gods go, this one isn't exactly all that evil. His name is Gaara and he's decided to draw a line. Sure he'll accept weak, old, or sickly villagers but this girl…she's not even from the village. For once in his long life, he actually doesn't want to kill. Instead, he takes her back to his castle. What awaits her there? What is he planning? Will he really let her live or is he just saving her for later? The villagers called him an evil god but what is he really? Can she actually survive living in the home of three "evil gods"? How attached will she get to our Gaara? Well, you'll have to continue reading to find out!


	2. Chapter 1, The Sacrifice

**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter One: The Sacrifice_**

"This totally sucks!" The alarming and unexpected shout echoed through the quiet forest.

This was definitely something you wouldn't hear if you were hiking in the nearby area. Yes, people get lost all the time in these woods but it's usually not a woman. This shout was feminine. No one in their right mind would even go near these particular hills and forest. It was off limits since it belonged to an Amish community. Most people just stayed away from these parts.

One certain girl didn't really have a choice. Her loud ranting was proof of that:

"Damn! If I ever get my hands on them again I'll-! Well I don't know exactly. They are much bigger than me and they're men so that easily puts me in an awkward position. As much as I'd love to hurt them and get some major revenge…I really can't, now can I? And now I'm talking to myself…. just great. I guess I'm going nuts. That just adds to my little day of fun." A girl with the strangest colored hair burst through the thick forest, her breath coming out in heavy pants.

She glanced around, making sure she hadn't already come this way before. Satisfied, she continued walking through the vast forest with no idea where she was headed. _'I wouldn't be in this mess right now if it wasn't for that damn gang. I hate gangs! Why the hell did they have to kidnap and drop me off in the middle of nowhere? What the hell? Well I'll get out of this and when I find that damn Akatsuki gang I'll show them a thing or two…. maybe.'_

The sound of loud footsteps snapped her out of her thoughts. She had been walking for nearly three hours now and she hadn't seen or heard a thing. This was the first and also the creepiest. _'What if it's a bear or something big that could eat me?' _She shivered at the thought. She couldn't die yet, she still had to go back and kill those guys.

The footsteps drew closer until Sakura turned away, afraid to face whatever it was.

"Oh! So there you are! Guys! I found her!"

Sakura's head snapped up, her gaze locking onto the young man before her. The man was young, maybe two years older than her. He looked decent enough though his overalls and muddy boots gave away the fact that he's a farmer. _'Farmer or not he's still human.'_ Sakura smirked at that and moved closer to give the man a better inspection.

"You wouldn't happen to be from that Amish community, would you?" Sakura questioned, trying to get as much information out of this guy as possible.

The guy glanced at her and smiled kindly, "Yes ma'm. Well what about you? No young lady should be wanderin' 'round these parts."

Sakura sighed at that one. _'So true.'_ "I was kind of abandoned here. Sorry, I didn't mean to trespass or anything."

The guy laughed merrily, "Are you kiddin'? You ain't causing nobody no harm."

"Yes well…sorry anyways. Say, could you maybe help me out here? I'm kind of lost and I have no idea how to even find the road."

"Sure I can help ya darlin'. First I gotta take you back to my village. Hope you don't mind that we're Amish or anything."

Sakura held her hands up. "No! Please I don't mind. Let's just hurry, ok?"

The guy nodded then turned and walked back into the forest with her right on his heels.

* * *

Sakura gazed at the small, old-fashioned town before her. It was strange to see such an old and non-modern place. She was so used to plumbing and electricity that all this was actually kind of freaky. _'I couldn't live here…no way…' _She shook her head and followed her guide through the spacious town. She learned the guy's name on their way to the village. His name was Joel. 

"I'm takin' you to see the mayor." Joel said, glancing over his shoulder at her.

Sakura nodded, "Sure, ok." She really didn't care what he did, so long as he could help her find the road. After that, she'd hitchhike.

Joel led her to the very edge of the village. There was a large hut located here and Sakura was certain this was where they were headed. Without a word spoken the pair walked right up to the hut and Joel knocked on the door. He waited a minute before he opened the door and went inside, Sakura following close behind him.

"Ah Joel! What have you got there?"

The couple looked over at an older man. He had gray hair and a weak grin. Sakura couldn't picture this guy as a mayor. He looked too soft and too weak.

"Sir I found her in the woods. She says she was lost." Joel replied, his friendly tone suddenly becoming serious.

The mayor nodded in understanding. "I see, well we'll have to make her feel welcome. What might your name be miss?"

Sakura dipped her head politely before replying. "My name is Sakura Haruno."

"Sakura…well my dear I must ask you to wait outside for a moment. I must speak with Joel."

Sakura nodded then hurried out the door.

Joel turned back to the mayor who was staring after her with a sly smirk. "What are you thinking?"

The mayor just chuckled. "It seems we won't have to sacrifice one of our own this time."

Joel stiffened for a moment before glancing at the door. "Are you sure about this?"

"Of course. Why kill one of our own villagers when we can simply use her? It's brilliant."

"I…yes sir. You're absolutely right."

The mayor nodded then turned to leave the room. "I'll leave her to you then. At dusk we'll come for her."

Joel nodded, "Yes sir." With that said, he exited the hut leaving the mayor to chuckle to himself.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set and Sakura was beginning to worry. Joel hadn't told her anything about their where-abouts or where she could find the road. In fact, he barely told her anything at all. From the moment he left that cabin he had barely spoken to her. _'I wonder what happened in there. Joel seemed so nice before. I hope it's nothing too serious._' She shook her head, clearing her head of unnecessary worries. She didn't have time to worry about him. She had to worry about herself first. 

At the moment she was sitting on the ground outside of Joel's hut. He was inside with a bunch of men from the village. She was told to just wait outside for him and that's exactly what she was doing. There was something almost too secretive about their actions but Sakura didn't say anything. She wasn't apart of this village and she had no right to make comments.

Suddenly the door opened and the men began to file out of the hut. Instead of going back to their own houses, they began to circle Sakura. Sakura glanced from one guy to the next, her worries coming back in full force. She couldn't pick Joel out of the many faces so instead she stood up; ready to bolt if she had too. She never got the chance. From behind, two pairs of large hands grabbed her arms in an iron grip. She struggled but it was no use. These were men who knew what they were doing.

"J-Joel!" she cried out desperately. He was the only one she could call for. He was the only one who could help her.

A familiar chuckle came from the other side of the circle of men. A few of the men stepped aside and allowed the mayor to move forward. Sakura was pulled backwards against the two men as the mayor came to a stop before her.

"Hello Sakura. I hope my men haven't been treating you too roughly."

Sakura growled, "Tell them to let me go!"

"I can't do that. You see, we have a certain ritual that takes place once a month. It involves a live sacrifice."

That was all she needed to hear. With a growl she placed her feet flat on the guys' knees and kicked off, hoping to break their grip. They didn't budge an inch. Instead she was now closer to the mayor with her arms still locked in place thanks to his men.

"Now, now. There's no need to get feisty. We're merely tired of using our own people and you just happened to fall right onto our laps. You're going to be a big help. We're extremely grateful." The mayor smirked almost evilly at her earning another growl.

"What the fuck are you sacrificing me too?!"

"An evil god of course."

Sakura had to let that one sink in. _'An evil god? What the hell?' _"What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain more as we go. Men!"

The men began to move, the circle remained even in motion. The mayor walked right along beside her and the two men holding her. He looked calm and almost cheerful. It really pissed her off.

"Explain already!"

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "We've never seen the god with our own eyes but we know that before we started the sacrifices, he would attack our village, killing anyone he could. That's why we started this. If he's fed once a month he'll leave the rest of us alone."

"So is he really a god?" Sakura doubted it.

The mayor simply shrugged. "We call him that. He must be evil for he's killed so many innocent people. As for the god part…well we aren't sure what else he could be."

Sakura snorted. "You don't even know what you're fighting here. How pathetic."

The men tightened their hold on her arms making her wince.

"I really don't want to bruise up the god's meal but if you keep calling us names you'll find yourself in a world of pain."

Another tightening of the hands backed up the mayor's threat. Sakura let out a cry of pain.

"Lucky for you, we've arrived."

Sakura glanced up as the circle split up and revealed a wooden post on the cliff edge. The sun was setting faster now and darkness would soon be upon them.

"Tie her up." The mayor ordered.

A few men stepped forward with ropes. The men holding her dragged her to the post and held her up against it. The other men tied her hands around and behind the post. She struggled but a good hard smack across the face was enough to stop her. Finally with her wrists secure, they all backed away leaving Sakura to stare at the ground in shame. _'How could I let this happen? I'm going to be sacrificed and there's nothing I can do.' _She closed her eyes, wishing she were back in Konoha.

Suddenly someone touched her shoulder. She opened her eyes and gazed sourly at Joel.

"What the hell do you want?"

He sighed and stroked her hair. "Sakura…I am sorry. I knew about this but…well my little sister was supposed to be the next sacrifice and I didn't want her to die so I agreed to use you instead."

Sakura could actually see where he was coming from. If she were in his place she'd probably do the same thing. Still, she was angry and his sob story wasn't going to win him any points here. "Well Joel I have to say I'm actually looking forward to meeting this 'evil god'. Maybe he can actually help me unlike you."

"Help you? He's evil! He'll kill you."

"Not that you care, right?"

Joel recoiled as if he had been hit. "I do but…"

"Just leave Joel. Go back to your happy little village. Just leave me the fuck alone."

Joel opened his mouth to reply but thought better of it. Instead he nodded and turned to go.

"I'll let you in on a little secret. The evil god can only come out at night. He'll come once the sun sets."

Sakura glanced behind her, noticing once again how low the sun was. She had maybe an hour or so before the sun completely set. Turning away she looked up expecting to find Joel still standing there but she was wrong. Joel was gone as well as the rest of the villagers. With a sigh she closed her eyes and let her head droop. There was nothing more she could do. It was over.

**(A/N: Alrighty, I know this chapter was kind of weird but I promise the next chapter will be much better. I've already wrote so many of the chapters that I can promise it gets really good! Just wait and see!)**


	3. Chapter 2, Breaking the Ritual

**(A/N: I think I'd better explain a few things before this story gets too confusing. First off, this story is based of off today's day and age mostly. There will be some mention of TVs and CDs in future chapters. I hope you'll enjoy it just the same. It all fits together, you'll see. Anyways, this chapter is much better than the first and Gaara makes his appearence! Yay! I love Gaara!)**

**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Two: Breaking the Ritual_**

**SUNSET**

The sun had set more than an hour ago. Sakura had been on high alert, expecting this 'evil god' to pop out at any moment and attack her. So far there hadn't been anything. No noise, no movement, no nothing. _'Joel deceived me yet again. He's such a liar. I haven't seen or heard a thing since the sun set. So much for this evil god.' _She snorted then let her arms relax again. They were mostly numb by now and her entire body was completely sore. Her feet were a good foot above the ground. To say she was in pain would be an understatement.

By now she had gotten pretty good at ignoring the pain. Her only concern now was staying awake. Every few seconds her eyes would slide shut and she'd have to struggle to get them open again. She couldn't fall asleep yet. She had to see this evil god. In the end her body won and her eyes closed for good. After a few minutes her breathing slowed and her head fell limply against her chest. She had tried so hard to stay awake but in the end she couldn't make her body obey her.

In the woods across from her, two green eyes watched her every move. '_Finally. It's about time. I thought she'd never fall asleep.' _The man stepped out of the trees and silently made his way over to the sleeping girl tied to the post. The man looked more like an older teen than anything. He couldn't more than 17 years old. He had red hair and the scariest pair of green eyes. A red Chinese character symbol was tattooed to his temple. Ironically it was the symbol for love. Dressed in a black outfit and cape he was the perfect midnight assassin.

He stopped a little ways in front of her, her strange scent reaching him now that he was closer. He wasn't stupid; he could easily tell this girl wasn't from the village. For one thing, none of the villagers had pink hair. In fact, he had never seen anyone with pink hair. Not only that but her scent was very different and very intoxicating. He nearly made his mouth water. He stepped closer, his hand reaching out to brush lightly against her cheek. The girl leaned away from his cold touch. He hadn't fed for a while now so he was looking forward to this sacrifice. Once he fed his skin would feel as warm as a normal human's.

Something inside him ached as he stared at this girl. He had never felt sorry for what he was or what he had done. He was a killer, a murderer, but he did it all so he could survive. This time should be no different. He reached behind her and easily cut through the thick ropes. The girl fell forward into his awaiting arms. He held her up with one arm while his other hand ran along her neck. He inhaled sharply at the feeling of her pulse beneath his fingers. He tilted her head to the side slightly so he could gaze down at her bare neck. The lush throat was just begging to be bitten.

Resisting, he looked away and grabbed her neck firmly with one hand. _'I can't take her blood just yet. I have to share with Kankuro and Temari. Dammit! This woman is too damn tempting!'_ He growled his grip tightening around her neck. It was his turn to come and retrieve the sacrifice and he wasn't exactly happy about it. He didn't like finding prey he had to wait to eat. He wanted to feed now. He _needed_ to feed now. Too bad he had made an agreement with his siblings or else he would.

The ritual was the same every month. The humans would deliver a sacrifice then one of the siblings would come, kill the sacrifice, then bring it back home to feed them all. This time shouldn't be any different. With his hand slowly tightening around the girl's windpipe, it wouldn't take much to kill her. Still, there was something keeping him from doing so. This sweet scented girl with pink hair was doing something to him. His hand began shaking as his mind and body began to fight over whether or not to kill her.

_'Why can't I kill her? She's the prey and the sacrifice. I can kill her, there's nothing wrong with it. But why isn't my body responding? Why can't I do it?' _He couldn't figure it out. He had never hesitated to kill someone before. This was so weird. Something was really wrong with him. _'I can't believe I'm allowing a human, my prey no less, to affect me like this._' He shook his head, his hand releasing her now red throat.

"I can't do it. I can't kill you," he murmured.

He couldn't kill her but then what else could he do with her? He didn't know at the moment but he knew someone who could help him. Quickly he scooped her up in his arms and walked to the edge of the cliff. He gazed out into the darkness before he smirked and stepped over the edge, free falling into the black abyss.

* * *

Buried under a pile of warm blankets, a small feminine hand freed itself from the warmth only to shiver as the cold air engulfed it. The shiver was enough to wake the sleeping girl hidden under the blankets. With a sleepy groan she twitched and slowly opened her eyes. She was expecting to see a blinding white light or something to prove she was dead. There was no way she was alive. That 'evil god' must've come sometime after she had fallen asleep. Meaning he would've killed her. 

But there wasn't any blinding white light. Instead all she saw was a dark room with only a few slivers of moonlight shining through the curtain covered windows. _'I'm…. alive?'_ She didn't know anymore. She sat up, the blankets falling down onto her lap. Raking a hand through her pink tresses she glanced around the room.

The room was large and would've had a cozy feeling to it if not for the coldness in the air or for the darkness. As far as she could tell she was in a big canopy bed still dressed her own clothes, thankfully. There was a wooden chest of drawers between a closet and a closed door. A nightstand stood off to her right where a small lamp was located. Reaching over she pulled the string, allowing the light to chase away the darkness.

After her eyes readjusted, she noticed another door along the wall. _'I'm guessing that's the way out of this room.' _It was only a hunch but she didn't have the guts to go see if she was right or not. For one thing it was too damn cold and she didn't want to leave her warm bed. Another thing was that she was almost 100 percent certain she was in the home of the 'evil god'. That alone was enough to send a shiver down her spine. She was thankful she had electricity and that she wasn't with that creepy village anymore but still…she wasn't sure if she could trust this god or not. Sure he hadn't killed her but who was to say he wouldn't in the future? Another chill ran down her spine.

Suddenly a voice broke through the silent house. Sakura strained to hear it but it wasn't loud enough. Wherever the voice was coming from, it wasn't close by. She stayed still and listened for something more. She didn't hear anything. Sighing she curled back under the blankets, keeping the light on. She wasn't scared of the dark but she did feel safer with the light on. She was pretty sure a little light wasn't going to chase off this god person but she was willing to try anyways. Like they say, its better to be safe than sorry.

Right as she was about to drift off into another dreamless sleep, a louder voice made her snap up into a sitting position.

"I know all that! I just couldn't do it!"

Sakura didn't like the sound of that voice at all. It sounded angry and cold. The voice alone was enough to send her back into a shivering mess.

A different voice sounded through the house. "Have you given this any thought?! Do have any idea how to take care of her?!"

It was another male voice. This one wasn't as scary but it was just as angry. So far, Sakura didn't like this one bit. The voices lowered a bit so it only sounded like mumbling to her. A part of her wanted to go peek out the door to see whom the voices belonged too. Another bigger part of her wanted to just go to sleep and never wake up. It would be so much easier than dealing with all this.

She didn't have the chance to do either. The doorknob turned silently before it was gently pushed open. Sakura was frozen in place, too scared to even fake sleep. Instead she stared wide-eyed at the dusty blond haired woman that stood in her doorway. She was relieved! It wasn't some scary guy or god by any means. It was a normal girl that looked a little older than herself. With a relieved sigh she brought her hands up to rub her temples. _'I nearly had a heart attack there.'_ She smiled weakly, her body still shaking.

"I'm sorry, I really wasn't expecting you to be awake."

Sakura glanced up at the sound of the girl's voice. She didn't sound evil or anything even remotely similar_. 'Damn those villagers!'_ She smirked at the girl, "It's alright. I guess I couldn't sleep."

"It's a good thing you couldn't. I have a lot of explaining to do before the sun rises."

Now what was it that Joel had said? Maybe he was telling the truth. "Why before then?" Sakura questioned.

The girl shrugged and moved closer. "Well before I tell you that I suppose I should fill you in on a little something."

"Don't tell me, you're an evil god?"

The girl stopped and burst out laughing. "Let me guess, the villagers told you that?"

Sakura nodded slowly, "Uh yeah."

"They're so stupid. We aren't gods by any means."

'_She never said she wasn't evil though.'_ Sakura mentally commented. "Then what are you?" she asked.

The girl sat down on the edge of her bed her eyes raised to the ceiling. "I wonder how I should tell you. No matter what I say you'll get freaked out."

"Try me."

The girl glanced at her before smirking slightly, "Alright but only if you promise not to freak out."

Sakura nodded. "I promise."

"What if I told you I'm not human?"

"I kind of already guessed that so I wouldn't be surprised." Sakura answered honestly.

"Well then I'm not human."

Sakura eyed the girl intently, trying to find something about her that wasn't human-like. "I can't tell."

"Of course not. It's kind of our way of camouflage. We look exactly like humans so we can live among them without any suspicion."

"What can you do to prove to me you're not human?"

The girl stood up and placed just one finger under the bed. Sakura let out an 'eep' of surprise as the entire bed raised off the floor before being set back into place.

"Holy shit! You did all that with just one finger?"

The girl nodded. "Yep. Inhuman strength."

"What about some kind of feature? Like something on you?"

This time the girl walked over to her and kneeled down on the floor. She tilted her head to the side and opened her mouth wide. Sakura's eyes widened at the sight of the two huge fangs sticking out of her upper gums.

"F-fangs?" Sakura stammered nervously.

The girl nodded then sat back down beside her on the bed. "Yep. See? I'm not human."

Sakura sighed, "Alright, I believe you."

"Know what I am yet?"

"Let's see…can't go out in sunlight, super strength, fangs…I'd have to say a vampire?" Sakura questioned.

The girl nodded. "Exactly."

"Ok now I'm not sure which is worse. Evil god or vampire…" Sakura muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I'm sorry but I wasn't sure how to tell you. We've never told anyone our secret before."

"If I were you I wouldn't want too."

"Exactly so this was totally new for me. You can understand that, right?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah…"

The girl sighed. "Let me start over. I'm Temari." She held out her hand.

Sakura eyed her hand for a moment before she shook it with her own. "I'm Sakura."

Temari smirked, "Sakura huh? It suits you."

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

Temari chuckled. "I guess so, huh?"

Sakura nodded then looked worried.

"What's wrong?" Temari questioned.

"Look I really want to trust you but I…please tell me what you're planning. If you're just saving me for later then don't. Please just kill me now. I'd rather not get attached to you before that. Betrayal hurts too damn much." Sakura explained.

Temari nodded slowly. "You have every right to worry. I would too if I were you. Look, this has never happened before. We've always just gone to retrieve sacrifice and kill it there while it's still on that post. We've never brought a human back here alive. Besides, it's not my place to tell you what's going to happen to you. I'm not the one that brought you here. My younger brother, Gaara, was the one who brought you here. He would be the one to ask."

"Is he going to kill me?"

Temari sighed. "I have no idea. My other brother, Kankuro, is talking to him right now trying to find out what Gaara is planning on doing with you. I think Gaara might've pitied you a little. You weren't a part of that village and yet they decided to use you for their sacrifice. That was unbelievably cruel. I know I couldn't have killed you either if I had been sent to retrieve you."

Sakura looked somewhat relieved. _'But still even if he does pity me that doesn't mean he won't kill me. He's a vampire so he'll need blood right? Who's to say he won't take mine before long.' _

"You're absolutely right. He is a vampire and he does need blood but he didn't kill you which means he probably doesn't want to hurt you. If he really wanted your blood then he would've taken it." Temari explained.

Sakura looked a little surprised.

Temari rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Opps, I forgot. You probably didn't know that vampires can read human minds. My bad."

Sakura just shook her head. "Uh sure, whatever. Anyways, if he doesn't want my blood then what else could he possibly use me for?"

"Well, maybe he brought you here to be a potential mate?"

"A what?!" Sakura exclaimed.

Temari chuckled. "Well it is possible. Kankuro and I both have mates. They were both humans at one time too. Like Kankuro's mate was a total sweetheart before he turned her into a vampire. Now she's a bitch. She refuses to leave her village to live here with him so they don't see each other very often. As for my mate, Shikamaru, he's trying to live as a normal human for a while. I don't really see why but he can do whatever he wants."

"So Gaara might want me to be his mate?"

"Maybe, I don't know. You are pretty and your scent could drive any man insane. It's definitely a possibility."

Sakura sighed. "Great, I always wanted to be a vampire's mate."

Temari giggled. "Well don't worry about that. We don't know if that's really what he's planning or not."

"Yeah, ok."

Temari opened her mouth to say something when a familiar cold voice beat her to it.

"Temari."

The girls looked over at the doorway and Sakura immediately froze. This guy was so…scary. He was dressed like Count Dracula and had the scariest green eyes she had ever seen. But even though he looked really freaky, she couldn't help but notice how good looking he was. For a vampire he wasn't half bad, in fact he was the kind of guy that would have his own fan club if he lived as a normal guy.

"Gaara? What is it?" Temari questioned.

Sakura looked from her to Gaara. _'This is the guy?'_ She took it all back. Even if he was good looking, she couldn't ever see herself wanting to be with a guy as scary as him.

"Leave us."

Sakura paled instantly. _'Wait that means I'll be alone with him!'_

Temari looked just as worried but she wouldn't argue with him. She stood up and walked right up to him. "Gaara, don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Hn."

Temari shot Sakura a quick wink before exiting the room and shutting the door behind her.

**(A/N: Sorry! I gotta end it there. It was getting too long! Besides, it also keeps you all wanting an update so you can read on. That's a very good thing from my point of view. Well, I'll update soon. I just need to see how many people are actually reading this story. Reviews are very welcomed! Let me know what you thought! Thank you!!!)**


	4. Chapter 3, Cruel Revenge

**(A/N: Ugh! I'm soooooooo sorry! I was so excited about starting a new story and I was getting so much feed-back! Thank you so much reviewers! I just wish my stupid computer hadn't let me down. I'm sorry about the wait. Here's the next chapter to make up for it! **

* * *

**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Three: Cruel Revenge_**

**SAKURA AND GAARA**

Sakura had never been so scared in her entire life. For one thing, the guy looked like he wanted to hurt her and for another thing, he was a vampire. Those two things didn't sit well with her. She really, really, did not want to be alone with his guy. Sure he had allowed her to live but who was to say he wouldn't kill her now? He could, easily. That fact alone scared the hell out of her. She didn't want to die, especially not after having escaped death once already today. She really didn't like this day at all.

Sakura shivered as Gaara's cold gaze landed on her. He eyed her for a moment before he turned and headed for the other door.

"This is the bathroom. It's a joined one with my room on the other side. If you need something go find Temari." His explanation was brief and to the point. Obviously he didn't want anything to do with her. As if proving his point he grabbed the doorknob, ready to leave.

"W-wait!" Sakura called out weakly and nervously.

Gaara froze, his eyes never leaving the door in front of him.

"Please, tell me why you've brought me here. Temari couldn't answer me and told me to ask you."

He turned around now and again his cold gaze made her freeze. She didn't think she'd ever get used to that.

"Why do you need to know that? You should just be thankful you aren't dead."

Sakura winced at his words. "But surely you must have some reason for keeping me alive. Look, just hear me out. I don't want to be toyed with. If you're just going to save me for later then forget it and kill me now. I don't want to be on the menu but if that's the plan then just finish me off now. I don't want to live knowing I'm just going to be killed later."

For a moment she thought she saw his eyes widen. But he quickly recovered and smirked almost evilly at her. "Do you want to die then? Is that what you're asking for? Death?"

Sakura glared at him, suddenly unafraid of him. "I don't want to die I just don't want to be saved for later. If you're planning on killing me then do it now."

Gaara nodded then disappeared. Sakura glanced around, her nervousness returning quickly.

Suddenly a hand grabbed her throat and crashed her back down onto the bed. Her hands claws at the hand that was squeezing her windpipe. She struggled to breathe but continued to glare up at the red haired vampire.

He watched her struggle for a moment before he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You should watch yourself woman. If you jump to conclusions I might just have to kill you for real. I never said I was saving you for later so you should stop thinking that way. If you'd let me explain myself then we wouldn't be having this problem. I have a reason for everything I do. Do not forget that."

With that said he released her but didn't move from his position above her. She rubbed her throat as she scowled up at him. _'Dammit…'_

"Humans are such weak and feeble creatures. Killing you would be far too easy. If I wanted to kill you, I could."

"Then why don't you?!" She snarled.

He smirked down at her. "Because I don't want too. There's something about you that kept me from killing you back on that cliff. I have a feeling that you'll be more useful if you're kept alive."

"I hate you."

He nodded. "Good. Hate me, loathe me, detest me. You should never have any other feelings toward a creature such as myself."

He stood up, moving away from her.

Sakura stared after him for a moment before she laughed. Her laughter made him stop moving. He glanced back at the giggling pink haired woman who was watching him with bright green eyes.

"And here Temari thought you had brought me here to become your mate."

Gaara's eyes narrowed. _'Temari said that? Why would I need a mate?' _He scowled then turned and walked back to the smirking girl. "There are quite a few things I can't stand in this world. One: humans. Humans are the prey and nothing more. Making mates out of them is pointless. Two: women. Women are weak, useless beings who do nothing but complain and nag. They are a nuisance. You happen to be both; a human girl. That means I have absolutely no patience for a being such as yourself."

Sakura nodded. "Good, I don't want to be of any use to you."

He smirked then leaned in close to her making her frown and lean away from him. "Remember this woman, I don't need a mate. Especially not a weak human like yourself."

He turned away and walked to the bathroom door.

"Fine but let me ask you one more thing."

Her voice stopped him yet again. With an annoyed growl he turned back to face her. "What?"

"If you aren't saving me for later, and I'm not here to be your mate, then why didn't you kill me? Why am I alive?"

Gaara tried to come up with a smart reply. Unfortunately he couldn't. He didn't really have a reason for not killing her. He didn't know why he kept her alive. He had no idea. Of course, she didn't need to know that.

"Temari thinks you might've pitied me. I was lost when those villagers found me. I just fell right into their laps, huh? I thought they wanted to help me but instead they used me as a sacrifice. Instead of using their own villagers they used me, alone and lost me." Sakura explained.

Gaara didn't know what to say. He hadn't thought about that at all. _'That's right…they didn't use their own villagers and used her instead. She was just lost. She had nothing to do with that village or it's rituals. Dammit! Why didn't I see this sooner?' _

"Listen up woman, the longer I stay in this room the more tempted I am to take your blood. Luckily for you your little sob story helped me think a little. I desperately need human blood and since I only get it once a month from that village, I need it now. Since I didn't kill you and take your blood, I still need some. In fact, both Temari and Kankuro do as well. Instead of killing you, I'll take your sob story into consideration. Those villagers will pay for using you as their sacrifice."

Sakura couldn't believe her ears. _'He's going to get revenge? Why? Why would he do that?'_

He snorted. "Don't think I'm doing this for you. I just need blood and I've grown accustomed to theirs. You got lucky woman."

Sakura didn't totally believe him but she nodded anyways. "Right. Thank you."

He turned away and opened the door leading to the hallway. "Temari! Kankuro!" he called.

Immediately the two siblings appeared at the door.

"What is it Gaara?" Kankuro asked. Now this guy looked weird. He was in a black jumpsuit with a hood. He even had purple face-paint on. Real scary for a vampire.

"We're going hunting. That village tried to trick us by giving us a sacrifice that wasn't from their village. Now they must pay the price." Gaara explained.

Kankuro smirked. "Bout time. We haven't hunted like that in ages."

Temari even looked excited. "I'm in."

Gaara nodded. "Good I'm gonna need both of you. We have to leave now, before the sun rises."

The siblings nodded. "Alright."

Gaara glanced back at Sakura who was watching them silently. "We'll be back before sunrise. Don't try to escape. There's nowhere to go if you do. Besides, the doors and windows can't be unlocked by humans."

Sakura scowled at him. "Like I would try to anyways. I'm not that stupid."

"Could've fooled me," he muttered, leaving the room.

She stuck her tongue out at him earning a chuckle from the two remaining siblings.

"I'll come check on you when I get back Sakura." Temari said.

Sakura nodded. "Alright."

Temari nodded then followed after Gaara with Kankuro right behind her.

Sakura stared after them, a feeling of unease washed over her. She knew they were going to kill someone from the village, maybe even more than just one person. But they had sacrificed her and left her for dead. They deserved it and yet she couldn't help feeling sorry for them. They had sacrificed her thinking they'd get off the hook. Too bad these vampires were smarter than they thought.

She smirked at a familiar memory. "Evil god my ass." She chuckled as she lay back down and allowed herself to fall asleep in a vampire's home.

**

* * *

**

Gaara watched as Temari exited the girl's room. She shook her head then headed for her own room. _'So she's asleep…'_ He didn't care, he entered her room anyways. As he entered her room he noticed that her mouth-watering scent had taken over the room. He was well fed and looked as warm and alive as a human so her scent didn't make him hungry or anything. Still, he couldn't help but notice how wonderful her scent smelt. _'None of the villagers smell as nice as this.'_

He walked over to her bedside and gazed down at her sleeping form. She looked even more fragile when she was asleep. Reaching out he brushed the back of his fingers along her cheek. This time she leaned into his touch, welcoming his warmth. He fought back a relieved smile before he quickly pulled away.

"Damn woman…" he muttered under his breath. Turning away from her he pulled on the lamp string, allowing the darkness to consume the room. He nodded in approval then headed to his own room through the joined bathroom.

**(A/N: Oh yeah! How'd you like that one? Well...I think I should have the next chapter up sometime soon but I'm gonna need a little feed-back first. You all are fantastic! Thank you so much for reading and especially thank you my reviewers, I really owe you all one!)**


	5. Chapter 4, As Night Falls

**(A/N: As promised, here's chapter four. I was waiting for a few more hits and they came so here's your reward! I'm afraid this chapter is a little boring but the end isn't too bad. Either way, I promise this story will start getting good really quick. Just stay tuned. Thank you everyone!) **

* * *

**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Four: As Night Falls_**

**THE NEXT MORNING**

A single ray of sunlight shown through the curtains, hitting the sleeping girl in the eye. The sudden warmth and brightness made her twitch and roll over. It was nearly noon and the sun was almost at its peak. She had been sleeping for quite some time now and still she remained asleep. She probably would've stayed asleep too if not for a sudden stupid crow hitting her window. The loud bang and squawk woke her with a start. She bolted upright, her eyes flashing around the room.

The room was still dark though the shaded sunlight could be seen through the thick curtains. She had no idea how long she had been out but she really didn't care. She pushed the blankets off of her and placed her feet flat on the ground. Last night had been really weird and revealing but she was relieved. She felt safer and a bit trustworthier toward her new companions. She hadn't really gotten to know Kankuro yet but she figured that would come in good time. At the moment she had more important things to do.

Gaara was right about one thing. Even if she wanted to escape she had nowhere to go. She couldn't find her way back home if she tried. But after last night she really didn't want to go home. She had learned something extremely exciting and deadly. The thrill of it all was enough to make her want to stick around. She stood up and walked over to the joined bathroom. She had no idea how deep of sleepers vampires were but she wasn't about to test it on him. She searched the bathroom for a brush before heading back to her room.

She searched through her chest of drawers, finding plenty of feminine and well-fitting clothes. She changed quickly into a pair of white shorts and a simple white tank top. She didn't need to look good, just feel good. The vampires would be asleep all day so she had the daylight hours to explore her new home. She figured that before long she'd get lonely during the day so she'd have to change her sleeping hours. For the time being however, she'd use this time to her advantage.

She opened her door and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. Remembering from when Gaara opened the door last night, the hallway looked a lot brighter. _'They must not mind lights. Just the sunlight.'_ She couldn't see how lights would bother them anyways. Glancing to her right she saw a bunch of closed doors and a dead end. To her left were a few more rooms then a staircase. With a shrug she headed down the stairs. She had no idea how big the place was but she figured she'd be able to see all of it before long.

She was very wrong. The moment she walked off of the last step, she realized she wasn't in a normal house. This place was huge! From where she stood she felt like an ant. The staircase was big enough but this entrance was enormous! There was another staircase across the room from her. She figured there were more bedrooms and such up there. To her left was the front door. Two huge wooden doors were the only things that kept her inside. Not caring she turned and walked in the opposite direction, between both staircases.

Following the massive hallway, she noticed an open archway off to her left. Ignoring the continuing hallway, she decided to peek inside. To her relief, it was the kitchen. She hadn't eaten since yesterday when she was in the village. By now she was hungry enough to where her stomach began complaining. Patting her grumbling stomach she walked over to the fridge. She wasn't really expecting to find much. She didn't know if vampires needed to eat real food or not. It was worth a try.

She opened the fridge and smirked. It was full of all kinds of food. She really couldn't believe it and she knew she'd have plenty of questions for Temari when she woke up. _'I had no idea that vampires had such good tastes. They're so modern too.'_ She mentally noted all the different kinds of food and the rest of the technology around the kitchen. She had read about vampires before but she figured most refused to touch anything that involved technology. _'I really shouldn't believe everything I hear or read.' _

She poked her head back into the fridge and looked for something to eat. Spotting a pizza in the freezer she grabbed it and looked for an oven. Finding that easily, she preheated it and waited. _'I hope they won't mind that I'm eating their food. I mean, I have no idea where they even get it from. I didn't see an actual town for miles. But I guess because they're vampires they can travel much further distances than me.' _She would have to ask Temari to pick up a few things for her next time she went shopping.

Suddenly, something caught her eye. There was a note the counter near the door. She strode over to it and picked it up.

_"Sakura- I know I've mentioned this before but since we're vampires we sleep during the day. I know you'll be up before us so just make yourself at home. You can eat whatever you want and you'll have to let me know what you like later. Oh and don't try to explore the whole house in one day. I really don't think that's even possible. Well I suppose you could walk through the whole house but I wouldn't open any doors if I were you. Gaara wouldn't like that... Speaking of which, here's Gaara._

_Woman I would advise you to keep to the main rooms and the halls. Don't go through any rooms. I will know if you did. Temari can show you them later. I will give you a fair warning as well. DO NOT OPEN ANY CURTAINS!!! We're vampires and sunlight can kill us. Just stay away from the windows. That's all."_

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Geez, thanks for the rule book." _'As if I'd actually risk their lives by opening the curtains. Why would I do that? He really should give me some credit…'_

She sighed then set the note back down and put her pizza in the oven. She would obey their rules and stay out of the closed rooms. She wasn't totally curious anyways. She really didn't care. The only thing she did care about was finding out how big this place was. But first things first, she needed to eat and that's exactly what she'd do.

* * *

After she had eaten and cleaned up, she decided to finish her exploration. Going back out into the hallway she continued on down the long hallway. It turned in several directions before finally reaching another large room. It was definitely a living room of some sort. There were about three couches and big comfy chairs located around the room. A large fireplace sat on the other side of the room. There were smaller lamps that sat on small tables located near the couches and even a chess table near the closed windows. 

A basic bookshelf was standing along a wall with a bunch of ancient looking books on it. As much as Sakura liked to read, she didn't like reading books that had yellow pages and looked as if they'd fall apart if you touched them. With one last searching look she left through another door in the room. The door led her to a library. It was huge with shelves after shelves of books. _'Ok, now I'm in heaven.' _She grinned as she ran through the room, looking for something she could settle down and read until her vampire hosts woke up.

* * *

As soon as the sun disappeared from the sky and night fell, the vampires woke up. Gaara was awake before his siblings and for some odd reason, was eager to see their new guest. He searched her room first, finding it empty. He followed her scent down the stairs and into the kitchen before following it down the long hallway. Finally her scent got stronger as he reached the main living area. He and his siblings spent quite a lot of time in that one room. If she was going to be staying for a while then she'd learn to like it as well. 

She wasn't in that room at the moment; instead her scent was coming from the next room over. He stared at the library doorway, a little surprised by their common traits. He didn't like the modern stuff that Kankuro and Temari often toyed and played with. Instead he enjoyed old hobbies like reading. His favorite books were the ones from centuries ago. They looked old but they held materiel you wouldn't find in current books. It was odd to find someone who shared his own likes.

He entered the library and walked over to the huge windows. Grabbing a hold of the curtains he pulled them open and allowed the moonlight to flood the room. Using the moonlight he easily caught sight of a mass of pink hair huddled in a chair nearby. He walked over to her without making a sound. Stepping in front of her he held back a smirk. If she had been awake she would've been sitting with her knees pulled up to her chin with a book rested there before her eyes. Instead one leg was draped over the armrest while the other foot was planted firmly on the ground. The book was open and resting on her chest with a hand laid flat on the back of it. Her head drooped to the side while her chest slowly rose and fell with her steady breathing.

_'She looks…cute….'_ His eyes flashed with realization as he flung himself away from her. _'Cute? What the hell? I don't think anything is cute. This girl…what is she doing to me?!'_ He growled at his own weakness before stomping back over to her, making as much noise as possible. His plan worked as she stirred. Her head slowly rose back into place and her hand closed tightly around the open book. She moved her leg off of the armrest and stretched her arms above her head.

"Geez, what an uncomfortable nap," she murmured.

"Well look who finally decided to wake up."

Sakura gazed up an angry pair of green eyes. Her own pair narrowed. "Hello to you too."

He grunted. "Don't get snippy with me. I'm the one who should be angry."

"And why is that?"

"We're vampires, we sleep during the day. If you're living here you'll be expected to do the same. So far all you've done is sleep. Can't you stay awake at all?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'm only human."

Gaara's eyes widened before he looked away. _'Human…'_

Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Look I'm sorry. I know I'll have to change my sleeping schedule but I can't do it in one night. I'll make sure to stay up all night and go to sleep when you guys do. It gets boring during the day anyways."

He glanced back at her, a part of him feeling guilty. "You don't have to apologize. It's like you said, you're only human. I can't expect you to do everything I want you to do. Just…try."

Ok, now she was freaked out. _'One minute he's angry and the next he's almost…nice. What is the world coming too?'_ She smirked up at him, "I'll do what I can. Thank you Gaara."

He stiffened then snorted and looked away. "Don't thank me. I'm the bad guy, remember?"

Sakura giggled, "Not right now."

He smirked wickedly then placed a hand on both armrests, caging her between his arms. He leaned down making her eyes widen. "Trust me, I'm always the bad guy," he whispered, his head tilting down toward her neck.

His nose brushed aside her hair, revealing her neck. Although he wasn't hungry he wasn't one to pass up free food either. If she didn't think he was the bad guy, she had another thing coming. His mouth opened as his breath caressed her bare neck. She shivered and tried to move away. He grabbed her arm, holding her still. She wasn't going to get away, not until she understood.

"I'm a vampire, I feed off of humans. I'm the predator, you're the prey. Don't you get it? I'll always be the bad guy because I'll always want to hurt you maybe even kill you. Don't ever let your guard down around me. You can never trust me."

His warning was clear and Sakura knew this guy meant every word. With a curt nod she replied, "I understand."

He nodded and moved away.

Sakura relaxed then stood up. "Temari is awake by now, right?"

"Probably."

"Good." She turned and walked out of the library setting the book down as she went.

Gaara followed after her, his gaze landing on the book before he left. His eyes widened in surprise. _'No way!'_ He cursed and quickly exited the room. Again, they had yet another thing in common.

**(A/N: Sorry! I really wanted to keep going but I like to keep all my chapters around the same length. Anyways, next time...uh, well I'm not sure what happens in the next chapter. I'll have to reread the document but just check my profile for a summary of the next chapter. I usually talk about what's next to come in my profile so just go there if you're curious. Again, thank you to my wonderful reviewers! You all rock! Thank you!!!! And thank you to my readers! You're great too!!!) **


	6. Chapter 5, Questions and Answers

**(A/N: I promised some reviewers that I'd have this chapter up soon so here it is. No GaaxSaku stuff, sorry. I don't want to rush in just yet but there is something coming soon. Just wait and see! Thanks again reviewers! You're the best!!! **

* * *

**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Five: Questions and Answers_**

**SAKURA**

Sakura smiled as Temari ran up to her. She was extremely relieved to see her. She was beginning to worry about Gaara and what he might do to her if they were alone. She wasn't afraid of Gaara but she was worried. He was just one of those guys you weren't sure if you could trust or not. But at this point she didn't care. She was just glad Temari was her to help her take her mind off of those kinds of things. Temari was definitely a plus at this point.

"Sakura!" Temari greeted, grabbing both of her hands.

Sakura smirked, "Hey Temari."

"I hope you found something to keep you occupied all day. I was worried you'd get bored or something."

"She was sleeping again." Gaara muttered, leaning against the wall.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I'm working on it."

"Hm? What are you talking about?" Temari questioned, not really understanding what had transpired between the two.

Sakura shook her head. "Nevermind. I'm just glad you're awake now."

"Me too. It's been so long since I've hung out with another girl. It sucks that I've had to sleep instead of spending time with you."

Sakura smiled, "Don't worry about it. But hey, I've got a few things I wanted to ask you."

"Alright shoot."

Sakura shook her head. "Nah, let's go sit."

Sakura pulled her back into the living room leaving Gaara to shrug and wander off to find Kankuro.

Sakura flopped down onto one of the couches while Temari quickly put together a fire. It seemed like vampires were good at everything. The fire was done in no more than 15 seconds. If Sakura had been in charge of lighting a fire it would've taken at least 15 minutes. She was thankful that Temari was so good at it. Almost immediately, warmth began seeping out of the fire, warming the entire room.

Sakura closed her eyes and welcomed the heat. Temari wiped off her hands then sat down beside her.

"So what did you want to ask me?"

"Hm, well for starters are you guys light sleepers?" Sakura questioned, sitting up.

Temari smirked. "We sleep just like humans. We wake up to loud noises and some of us are light sleepers while others are deep sleepers. Gaara is a light sleep while Kankuro is a deep sleeper. I could blow a trumpet in his ear and he wouldn't wake up. If I tried to open Gaara's door he'd be awake before I even got it fully open."

Sakura nodded. "Alright, I was worried about whether I was being too noisy or not. Now what about food? I didn't think vampires needed to eat real food."

"Food gives us energy but that's it. We only eat it if we're feeling weak or light-headed. We need blood to live, not food."

"Speaking of blood. Gaara mentioned that he only drinks human blood once a month. Does that mean you only need to drink once a month to survive?" Sakura questioned.

"No we usually need some sort of blood every two days. We usually just go kill a rabbit or something when we need blood but once a month the villagers give us one human and that's kind of like a treat to us. Human blood is so much better than animal blood."

Sakura shuddered. "I really can't agree with you on that one."

Temari chuckled. "No I suppose not."

"So who's the reader? I noticed those ancient looking books over there but also the huge library where I spent most of my day."

"Gaara is really the only one that reads. Kankuro and I like more modern things." Temari answered.

'_Great…I enjoy doing the same things as him.'_ Sakura sighed then looked at Temari in confusion. "What kind of modern things?"

"Well we watch TV and listen to music most of the time."

"Please tell me you're not still listening to records?" Sakura pleaded.

Temari laughed. "No! More modern like CDs."

Sakura let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god."

"I find modern stuff fascinating and Kankuro just loves it. Gaara is kind of the odd one out. He doesn't mind modern things but he prefers to read instead of watching TV and such."

"I can see that."

Temari sighed and leaned back. "This place used to be so boring. We didn't trust humans at all for the longest time. We didn't even trust the things they made. Finally we gave it a try and we loved it all. We've really come a long way since then."

Sakura looked thoughtful. "You guys are kind of backwards. You're older than Gaara so usually the older children like more of the past things while the younger children like the newer things."

Temari nodded. "I know but Gaara just prefers quiet, alone time while Kankuro and I actually enjoy noise."

Sakura smiled. "I'm a little of both. I love to read which means it's almost got to be completely silent but I also like TV and music."

"Now you're talking."

"So where is this modern technology or yours?" Sakura questioned.

"Above and beyond." This wasn't Temari's voice at all.

Sakura glanced over the back of the couch and noticed both Gaara and Kankuro standing near the doorway.

"Above and beyond…whatever. Just say it's upstairs." Temari muttered.

Kankuro chuckled. "I like making life difficult."

Gaara snorted. "I'll second that."

Temari nodded. "Me too."

Kankuro just chuckled again then walked over to the girls. Sakura sat normally as he came to a stop before her. He held out his hand in greeting. "Yo, my name's Kankuro."

Sakura smirked and shook his hand. "Call me Sakura."

He nodded. "Sakura it is then."

"I say we take her up to see the room." Temari suggested.

Kankuro glanced at her then shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Sakura jumped to her feet. "Please?"

Kankuro chuckled then slid his arm around her shoulders. "Alright just stick with me. I know how to have a good time."

Temari snorted and followed them out of the room. "Please, you wouldn't know how to have a good time if it slapped you across the face."

"I'd know before then."

"Yeah right," she murmured.

Sakura giggled as the two siblings bickered all the way upstairs.

* * *

Back in the living room Gaara went back into the library and grabbed the book Sakura had been reading earlier. He found the corner folded on several pages. _'Probably her favorite pages.'_ He read through them, wondering why she wanted to save them. His eyes flashed as he reread a certain page. Flipping to the next saved page he read that one as well. _'No way! What is with this girl? Why does she like all the same things I do? Damn!'_ He closed the book and calmed himself down. He wasn't about to let her get under his skin. No way…

He shook his head and took the book with him back to his room. He'd let them have their fun without him. He didn't really like the modern stuff anyways. He'd rather read by himself then spend time with his crazy siblings and that weird, strangely common girl.

So far this girl was proving to be a bit more than he expected. He wasn't the type to cower and run away at the first sign of change. He was more like the type that faced change head on and stopped it in its tracks. This girl was the change and she couldn't be stopped. He had never faced anyone or anything like this before. It was new and challenging. Gaara was always willing to take on a challenge.

**(A/N: Boring, I know. I just had to explain a few things. Next chapter uh...well I know what happens I just can't remember at the moment. I think there's a slight GaaxSaku moment but I can't be sure. I'll update again soon, I'm just not sure how soon. That'll depend on you readers! Geez, when I see all those reviews I feel like I have to update as quickly as possible. Reviewers are very helpful. Thank you!!!)**


	7. Chapter 6, Fighting Desire

**(A/N: Wow, what a wait! Nah, my other stories have a lot longer waiting process but that's because I get too carried away when I start a new story. Like this one! I really am sorry about the wait but I love how many hits just one chapter gets after a little wait. Also the number of reviews just keeps going up!! Thank you!!! You're all the best! I replied to most, if not all of my reviewers but I wish I could thank you all again and again! Sorry my anonymous reviewers, I can't thank you personally without a username. Sorry! But still, thank you. Even if I can't thank you through email I can thank you this way. So...THANK YOU!!!! Ok, I'm done now)**

* * *

**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Six: Fighting Desire_**

**SAKURA**

Sakura entered her room just before dawn. She had spent all night partying with her new vampire buddies. Temari was great but Kankuro was one hell of a party animal. She was thankful for that little fact. She needed something to get her mind off of a certain someone. After his little warning she couldn't really keep him out of her thoughts. He was like an STD. He was incurable and totally irritating. She couldn't figure out how get him off of her mind! She wanted too, really badly. She thought that Temari and Kankuro could've helped her with that but they hadn't been any help in that department.

With a sigh she went over to her drawers and pulled out a thin red nightgown. It wasn't skimpy or anything but it was short and thin. The neckline was low and it was sleeveless. It was also silk and shiny. She opened the curtains a bit and allowed the moonlight to wash over her. She stood there for a moment before turning away to grab her new brush. She had mentioned that she needed a brush and Temari had vanished. Minutes later she returned with a new brush. It was definitely going to be one of those things she'd have to get used too.

She brushed her hair until it was soft and smooth. After a quick glance in the bathroom mirror she nodded in approval then turned to head back into her bedroom. Suddenly, she stopped, frozen in place. She glanced over her shoulder at Gaara's door only to find it ajar. She didn't want to be a peeping tom but she couldn't help it. She eased closer, quickly peeking into his room. She couldn't see much but she could see Gaara sitting in his bay window with his back against the windowsill. She could also see the book his was reading.

With a snort she knocked on his door lightly before pushing it open. Gaara glanced up at her, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. If there was one thing he really hated it was getting interrupted while he was reading. _'This woman is really pushing her limits.'_

"What do you want?"

"What do I want? I want to know why you're reading my book," she demanded, storming up to him, hands on her hips.

"Your book? I believe I bought it so it's actually mine."

Sakura growled. "Like I give a damn. What I mean is that I wasn't done reading it and now you're reading. You probably lost all my pages too."

Gaara's eyes narrowed further. "You mean all those pages you saved? Tell me, why did you save those?"

She shrugged. "I always do that. When I read a page I like I fold the corner so I can go back and read it later."

"Did you know that this is one of my favorite books?"

"Hm? Is that so? Well I guess we're alike then."

"And did you know that you saved all the pages I've chosen as my favorites? Unlike you I don't ruin a book by folding its pages. I simply write down the page number so I can look back on it later." Gaara pointed out.

"Well sorry that I happen to like the same stuff as you." She flung her hands up into the air.

He bent down and picked up a small notepad. He held it out to her, "Look."

Sakura grabbed the pad and read the first page. It had the title of her book written at the top then in one column was page numbers and in another column were randomly chosen words from that page. It was all very well organized and neat. She was a little surprised.

"You're right…we do like all the same pages," she murmured, giving him back the book.

Instead if grabbing the book, he grabbed her wrist, propelling her forward. Quickly wrapping his other arm around her he pulled her tight against his chest.

"W-what are you doing?! Let me go!" She snarled, struggling wildly.

Gaara held tight and moved his head down beside hers. "I'll tell you something that's been bothering me lately. You. You've been nothing but an annoyance since I first saw you on that post. Still, I can't kill you. I haven't determined why yet but I can't do it. You've become more than just some random human girl. You've proven to be a tad bit more annoying than that. You like all the things I do, you say things that piss me off and amuse me at the same time, and above all else you're really pushing me to the limit."

"What limit?" She asked quietly.

He growled, his grip loosening a bit. "My limit of desire."

Sakura stiffened. _'Limit of desire? What's that supposed to mean?'_

"I've kept away from women all my life, never wanting anything to do with them. I've always found them totally useless and annoying. But I am still a man. No matter how hard I try to fight it, I still have some sort of desire towards women. You are no exception. In fact, you're doing more to me than anyone else before. I don't like it and yet I love it at the same time. Tell me, what do I have to do to rid myself of this desire?" His voice was husky and low by this point, almost as if he couldn't hold something in much longer.

Sakura wasn't sure how to answer that. She knew how he could rid himself of his desire but she didn't want him to use her. She was still happily a virgin.

"I don't know how much longer I can fight it but I will until the bitter end. You had better do something to help. I can't fight it off if you come around me dressed like that. In fact, you should just avoid all alone time with me unless you're ready to lose your innocence."

Sakura placed her hands on his chest and pushed up a little bit so she could look him in the eye. "Listen up Gaara, I'm not the kind of girl you make me out to be. You call me weak, you call me useless. Well I'll let you in on a little secret, I'm neither. I'm not going to obey your every command and I'm not scared of you. I know what I want and what I don't. You're right about one thing; I'm not ready to lose my purity just yet. That means I'm expecting you to get your act together and remember what you told me earlier. You told me I'm not here to be your mate. Just remember this Gaara; I'm not a slut. I'm not gonna have sex knowing that the guy will just throw me away afterwards. I'll lose mine when I know I'm going to be with that man forever, and don't you forget it."

Using his surprise to her advantage, she pushed away from him and stormed out of his room, remembering to grab her book in the process. Gaara could only stare after her in disbelief. He had never expected her to fight back the way she had. She had used his own words against him. The whole mate thing wasn't supposed to be brought up again with something like this.

'_Dammit…'_ He scowled then stood up to get ready for bed.

**

* * *

**Sakura lay down on her bed, her eyes burning holes in the ceiling. She was pissed, more than pissed. How dare he tell her she was in danger of losing her virginity? Who the hell did he think he was? He wasn't her damn boyfriend or lover that's for sure. He was too damn arrogant. She wanted to hit him really hard but she knew it wouldn't do much. _'Fucking vampire…' _She growled then rolled onto her side. She couldn't stand him. Why couldn't he be different? Why did he have to be like every other man? Why? Why couldn't he just hate her instead of desire her? 

She closed her eyes tightly, just wanting to forget it all. She would heed his warning and stay away from him. She couldn't keep this up. She didn't like thinking about him so much and the more she did, the more she hated him. She wasn't a hater and usually gave everyone a fair chance. This time was different. She couldn't take chances with this guy. He was too smart and too…inhuman. She had never encountered a man like this. No man had ever captured her thoughts so completely before. She didn't like it and she wanted it to end. She just wished she knew how to stop it…

**(A/N: I'm sorry! I know it was short but well...actually I don't have an excuse for this one. I wrote it right away when I first started this story so some of the chapters are short and some long. I hate doing that! I try keeping everything the same but it just doesn't turn out that way. My bad! Anyways, next chapter is the beginning of something beautiful! It's the beginning of the actual GaaxSaku stuff. The title is: Let's Heat Things Up! Makes you wanna read it, right? Well, I'll give it a bit before I update but if I get as many reviews as last time I might just have to update faster, or else my inbox is gonna be full of Fanficion emails. Thanks again everyone!!)**


	8. Chapter 7, Let's Heat Things Up!

**(A/N: As promised, here's chapter seven! I told quite a few people that I'd be updating this weekend so here it is! Normally I would've done it yesterday but I was too busy. I hope you can forgive me!!! Maybe this chapter can make up for it, though I must say that chapter eight is so much better!!!) **

* * *

**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Seven: Let's Heat Things Up!_**

**THE NEXT NIGHT**

Sakura slept through the day before waking up at sunset. She knew the vampires wouldn't be awake before the sun completely set so she had a good half an hour beforehand. She quickly changed out of her clothes, pulling on something random from the drawers. She got ready as fast as she could, wanting to stock up on some good reading materiel before Dr. Lust decided to come and steal it all away from her. She wasn't about to let that happen again. This time he'd have to wait if he wanted to read her books.

She crept out of her room and practically ran down the stairs. She hurried into the library, quickly scanning the shelves for anything worth reading. After a while she had her arms full of books. Taking a quick peek out the window to see if the sun was still up, she hurried back to her room and hid the books under her bed. She wasn't taking any chances with this guy. He'd probably come snooping in her room before long and she didn't want him taking her books. She actually liked to finish a book after she starts it.

Leaving her room once more, she headed for the kitchen to grab a snack. She had her head fully inside the fridge when the siblings found her. None of them made any noise, just waited until she noticed them. With a dissatisfied grunt she leaned back and examined the fridge. She wasn't sure what she was looking for but whatever it was, she couldn't find it.

"Sakura!" Kankuro shouted.

The poor pink haired girl nearly had a heart attack. She jumped a good foot off the ground before turning to glare at the hysterical vampire.

"You bastard! You scared the hell out of me!" She exclaimed.

Temari laughed right along with him. "I'm sorry Sakura but that was really funny."

Sakura growled then looked away. "Not from my point of view."

"You should've seen how high you jumped! That was hilarious!" Kankuro sputtered before cracking up again.

Sakura sighed and rubbed her temples. "And here I thought you were somewhat decent."

"What?! I am!" His tone changed remarkably.

"Sure whatever."

Temari snickered. "Poor Kankuro."

Kankuro pouted then walked over to the victimized girl. "So what's for breakfast?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "I don't know. Make yourself something."

"No way. I can't cook."

"I'm the one that usually does all the cooking." Temari commented.

Sakura nodded, "I suppose so. Well then let's make something."

Temari nodded eagerly, "Sure! I haven't cooked with someone in a long time."

"Well now you're cooking with me. Either leave or stay and help boys."

Kankuro eagerly grabbed an apron. "I'm in. I love blowing things up."

"Uh we're in a kitchen not a bomb field." Sakura pointed out.

"I know that, it's just that whenever I try to cook something it explodes."

"Are you serious?"

"He's dead serious." Temari commented.

Sakura paled then shook her head. "Whatever. If anything explodes you're in charge of putting the flames out."

"No problem."

"Gaara? Are you staying?" Temari questioned.

Gaara shrugged, "I've got nothing better to do."

Sakura tossed him an apron. "Put it on."

"I don't think so."

She shrugged, "Fine but if your clothes get messy then you're cleaning them yourselves."

Gaara smirked in amusement. "Just ma'm."

She glared at him before turning to help Temari. For a while it was simple, easy going activities. The girls would give the guys something to do and they'd do their best to do it without messing up. After a while, Kankuro got bored and decided to make things more interesting. He glanced at Sakura who was helping Temari with the steaks while Gaara worked on the beans without complaint.

Seizing his opportunity he poured a bunch of spices and sauces into his soup. The soup bubbled quickly and violently as the pot began to shake. Gaara looked over at him, already dreading what was coming next. He sighed then wrapped an arm around Sakura's waist.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" She exclaimed.

"Just shut up. You'll thank me later," he hissed, running and diving behind the island in the middle of the kitchen.

Temari appeared beside them, her head pulled down between her knees. Both siblings knew what was coming next and they had no idea how to prevent it.

"Keep your head down." Gaara ordered.

Sakura didn't need to be told twice.

Suddenly a huge explosion happened on the other side of the kitchen. Soup splattered everywhere and even chipped the other side of the island. Smoke filled the kitchen making the fire alarm go off. Just as things couldn't get any worse, the sprinklers came on. Now not only were they smelly from the smoke and soup but they were also soaking wet.

Sakura groaned and laid her face against the cool floor. "Just perfect…"

Gaara growled and glanced at Temari who was on her feet. "Come out you stinking rat! I'll kill you Kankuro!"

She was gone before Gaara could tell her not to go. He was alone with her again and this time they were both really wet.

Gaara released Sakura who quickly scurried out from under him and stood up. She shook the water from her hair only to have it get soaked up again.

She sighed and closed her eyes. "This totally sucks…"

Gaara took in her pitiful form and sighed. _'Now isn't the time.'_

He stepped forward and quickly scooped her up in his arms.

"Gaara! Come on!" She whined, not in the mood.

He ignored her and disappeared only to reappear in their bathroom. He set her on her feet and started the bath water. Sakura watched him warily, not trusting him just yet. He hadn't done anything wrong yet but she wasn't taking any chances. He continued to kneel on the floor beside the tub, keeping one hand in the water to check the temperature.

"What are you doing?" She finally asked.

Gaara glanced up at her before looking back at the water. "You need a bath."

"So do you."

He shrugged. "I don't look as helpless as you do."

She snorted then sat down on the counter. "Sorry but I happen to be a woman."

He chuckled softly. "You just basically claimed that women are helpless."

Sakura gasped. "Are you sure? No way!"

"Guess I'm finally getting through to you…" he murmured.

"I don't think so."

He shrugged. "I will, sooner or later."

"Later, definitely later."

He merely nodded, not in the mood to argue with her.

Sakura watched him for a moment before she stood up to leave. "You take a bath first. I'll wait."

Quick as lightening, he grabbed her wrist causing her to look back at him. "No, I started this for you."

It almost sounded sweet but she wasn't so sentimental. "Look I can do this myself. You started the bath first so you can take the first one."

Gaara growled and stood up so he could use his height against her. "Don't argue with me. Just take a damn bath."

Sakura glared at him. "You first."

"Stop acting so childish!"

"I'm not I'm merely stating the facts. You started it first so the first bath belongs to you."

"And I'm just trying to be polite," he retorted.

"I didn't ask you to be polite!"

"You didn't have too!" He practically snarled.

She growled then suddenly came to her senses. _'Wait a minute…I know what I can do…'_ She smirked then grabbed the bottom of her wet shirt. His eyes followed her movement. _'Perfect.'_

"Fine I'll take mine first." With that said she pulled her shirt off, leaving her in just her bra.

Immediately she saw a reaction. His lips pressed together in a thin line as his eyes took in her full upper body. He said he desired her so why not use that against him? He said he'd fight it so if he were truly going to fight it then he'd walk out right now. Well, that was the idea anyway. It was hard to do even for her. She was never this bold back in Konoha.

She waited for him to bolt out of the room. He was supposed too. Instead his eyes slowly slid shut as his hands came to rest on her shoulders.

"Are you…completely insane woman?" His breathing was labored.

"No I just want you to get out. You said I could take mine first and I'm sick of arguing with you."

He grunted. "I'm not going anywhere."

She stiffened. _'Ok, that backfired.'_ "What? But you….you said you'd fight it-"

He cut her off, "That was before you pulled your shirt off. I can fight it to a certain point but I refuse to do so right now."

"Why is that?"

His eyes snapped open and Sakura nearly stumbled back in surprise. His eyes practically glowed with lust and desire. This wasn't the same Gaara that told her he never wanted a mate. She didn't know this Gaara and frankly, she was a little afraid too.

"I don't want to fight it. I want to do something else." His voice was huskier and just as lust-filled.

Sakura gulped and took a step back. "What would that be?"

His grin was wicked though not scary for once. He reached up with one hand to brush her wet hair away from her cheek. Sakura used that moment to pivot and try to run past him into his bedroom. He was much faster and quickly grabbed both her arms and held them firmly at her sides. Her back was now to the bathtub.

"I'm not gonna let you get away this time." His tone was threatening and yet still not frightening in the least.

He backed her up until her legs hit the bathtub. She glanced behind her at the rising bathwater. She knew that if she backed up anymore she would fall and probably get a concussion.

"I won't let you get hurt." His words were a promise that didn't make sense.

She glanced back at him in confusion. Before he told her that he was a threat and that he would always try to hurt her and now he was telling her he wouldn't let her get hurt? He wasn't making any sense.

"Gaara I don't-"

"Hush. Just….stop." He cut her off again, his eyes narrowing.

He growled and leaned his forehead against hers. "Dammit…I want you so badly."

Sakura shivered. "My blood or my body?"

"Both…"

"Gaara release me."

He shook his head and his gaze locked with hers. "Not yet."

"Then when?"

He shuddered and growled. "After this."

"After wha-" She never finished.

**(A/N: Ohhhhh! What's gonna happen? Well I know but that's just because I wrote it. Anyways, sorry for the cliffy but it makes you want to keep reading, right? Like I said, next chapter is where the GaaxSaku stuff comes into play. Finally!!! Hm...I guess that's it... Well review if you like, I'll update later. Thx!!!)**


	9. Chapter 8, Its Got to Stop Somewhere

**(A/N: Howdy! I hope the last chapter didn't bother you all too much. I wanted to leave it as a cliffy to get people interested and it worked! Now as a thank you for all your patience, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for! Yes it is GaaxSaku but no it isn't a lemon...yet. Not this chapter anyways... Well have fun enjoy!!! **

* * *

**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Eight: It's Got To Stop Somewhere_**

Sakura's eyes widened in complete and utter shock. _'No way…no fucking way! This can't be happening!'_ Her mind shrieked. Her world spun before her eyes at this new sensation, this new feeling. One minute he had been arguing with her and the next…well now he was kissing her!!! Gaara was actually kissing her! What the hell?! This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to protect her against that explosion, he wasn't supposed to prepare a bath for her, he wasn't supposed to allow himself to give into his desire, he wasn't supposed to kiss her, and above all else, _she_ wasn't supposed to like it.

Instead of continuing to fight her own emotions and desire, she kissed him back. Her arms slide around his neck, pulling him closer. One of his arms wrapped around her waist while the other cradled her neck and head in his palm. His head tilted, allowing them both to meet more completely. He broke the kiss for only a moment before he crashed his lips against hers once more. This time he was much more passionate. He was still gentle and yet fierce at the same time. His mouth moved against hers so sensually… She loved it.

He leaned her backwards, bending her over the tub. She didn't care anymore. He could give her a damn concussion if he wanted too, just so long as he never stopped kissing her. Suddenly his mouth opened and his tongue ran along her bottom lip, begging for entrance. Sakura wasn't about to let him down. She opened her mouth and allowed him entrance, which he eagerly took. He thrust his tongue into her mouth making her moan. He completely took over her mouth and tongue, toying with her and pushing it around as if he owned it. It was great.

Suddenly she felt herself falling. Her eyes opened in shock and fear of hitting her head. Time seemed to slow then. Their descent was so slow that Sakura barely felt it when she finally hit the tub. Her butt and lower back landed in the tub, soaking her clothes thoroughly while her head rested against the cool wall. Her legs hung limply over the tub edge while Gaara lay completely on top of her, never breaking their kiss. Sakura didn't mind her uncomfortable position or the fact that her clothes were wet. All she cared about was Gaara and the fact that he was kissing her.

Their tongues battled as their legs entwined. Sakura ran her bare foot along his clothed calf earning a more earnest and eager war within her mouth. His hands had changed their position by now. One was tangled in her wet locks while his other one was tracing random designs on her flat stomach. She back arched as his hand moved upward, reaching the bottom of her bra. She was completely lost in her desire but a nagging part of her mind told her to call its quits. It kept telling her not to let it get too far.

Sakura just ignored it and let out a low moan as his hand engulfed her breast through her bra. He had respected her for the moment, deciding not to go under her bra just yet. Still, he wasn't totally oblivious. He knew what he was doing to her and he liked it. He was glad that he was the one to make her feel this way. _'No other man will have this pleasure. I'll be the first and only.'_ His possessive mind took over as he broke the passionate kiss. He opened his eyes so he could gaze down at the heavily panting, freshly kissed, wet girl lying beneath him. This was all so perfect, minus the bathtub part.

He leaned down and kissed her lips sweetly before moving onto her cheeks and jaw line.

"G-Gaara…" Her voice sounded so sweet.

He growled and kissed her firmly. "Mine."

She nodded and opened her eyes only to have him kiss each eyelid closed again. How he could switch from passionate to sweet so quickly was beyond her. She didn't know how he could do it but she liked it. He stared down at her as he squeezed her breast earning another low moan. He grinned as he watched her back arch and body move to his actions. He liked what he saw and he wanted to see more of it.

Capturing her lips in another bruising and passionate kiss, he moved his other hand from her hair to her free breast and squeezed both making her groan into his mouth. He chuckled against her lips and thrust his tongue in and out of her mouth. While he was doing wonderful things to her body, his body was showing its own signs of arousal. Moving slightly he pressed his bulge against her inner thigh making her shiver. He broke the kiss and panted above her.

"I want you so badly…I've gotta have you." His voice was so low and husky that it nearly made her moan at the sound.

"Gaara I…" She gulped, her throat suddenly dry.

She opened her eyes to look at the handsome vampire above her. His eyes were completely clouded with lust and his lips were turned upward in a sly smirk. She knew what he wanted and a big part of her wanted it as well. She really wanted to say screw it and let him do whatever he wanted to do to her body. She couldn't say it. She couldn't do it. The smarter part of her spoke the truth. It was telling her to make him wait, make him want her so badly that he'll never want to let her go. It was the smart thing to do. If she wanted to stay in his arms, in his heart, then she'd have to take her mind's advise on this one.

With a heavy sigh she placed her hand on his chest and gently pushed him off of her. Gaara gazed down at her in confusion, not liking the looks of this at all.

"What are you doing?" His voice was slowly turning back to normal.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry Gaara. I can't do that, not yet. We're not ready."

"What do you mean? We both want this so…"

"It's not about what we want. It's about something bigger. It's about our future together. I told you before that I wouldn't have sex with someone who was just going to throw me away afterwards-"

"I wouldn't! Why would I do that to you?" His reply was too quick, too eager.

"I'm sorry Gaara. I want to believe you but I can't. I probably will end up in your bed eventually but not until you want me enough to where you'll never let me go."

His gaze looked pained, rejected. Sakura didn't want to hurt him like this but she had to stop it before it got out of hand.

"Please understand Gaara…I want you, really I do, but I can't listen to just my body on this one."

Gaara shook his head and pushed himself off and away from her. Sakura stood up and grabbed her wet shirt off of the floor. She eyed the tub before looking back at him.

"Gaara? Say something."

He looked away for a moment before he turned to lock gazes with her. "What do you want me to say?"

"Say that you understand and that you'll forgive me."

He nodded slowly. "I…understand. I have trouble seeing this from your point of view but I'm trying. I will hold off, and I will control my desire, but only until I can prove to you that I will want you even after our first time."

Sakura nodded. "That's all I'm asking."

He nodded then turned to leave. "Take your bath. I'll take one after you."

"Alright."

He left the bathroom leaving her to sigh and look at the unappealing tub.

* * *

"20 bucks says he's fucking her." Kankuro muttered quietly from their position in the hallway.

They had been sitting out there for a while now, trying to listen in on the couple's action. It had gotten very quiet except for an occasional moan every now and then. Sure they both knew that Gaara was going to find a girl sooner or later, they just weren't expecting the pair to advance so quickly. It should've taken them a least a month to get to know each other enough to where they'd even want to do that kind of stuff to each other. This was just too quick.

Temari rolled her eyes. "20 bucks says he's not."

They shook hands, both thinking they had won. "How come we haven't heard anything for a while?" Kankuro questioned.

Temari shrugged. "Beats me."

Kankuro sighed. "And here I thought this would get interesting."

"You're such a pig."

He chuckled. "Yeah but then what are you? You're here with me, aren't you?"

Temari blushed. "I…It's not the same!"

"Bullshit it ain't." Kankuro chuckled.

Suddenly Gaara's bedroom door flung open and a very angry and sexually frustrated Gaara, stepped out. His cold gaze landed on the pair sitting in the hallway.

"What are you two doing?" His voice was even colder than his eyes.

"Uh nothing Gaara." Kankuro replied quickly, jumping to his feet.

Gaara's eyes narrowed before he turned and walked away. Temari followed him.

"Gaara wait! Where are you going?"

"Out." Was his only reply before he flung open the huge front door and vanished into the night.

Temari stared after him for a moment before she sighed and rubbed her forehead. "And they say girls are the moody ones."

**(A/N: Ta-da! Was that what you were expecting? Yes, no...??? Well I'm sorry if that disappointed anyone I just didn't want this story to jump right into the "M" rating just yet. Anywho...the next chapter is kind of hard to explain. I mean I could do it, but I'd be giving things away. I'll just tell you this much, Gaara is a bit angry with Sakura for pushing him away so he decides to play his own game. If he has to feel rejected, then so does she. So yeah, that's all I'm saying for chapter nine. Thanks again for your patience! I know it was tough... I promise more GaaxSaku stuff in the future!)**


	10. Chapter 9, Silent Treatment

**(A/N: I'm sorry! I did promise this weekend but I was thinking of updating Saturday, not Sunday! I'm sorry! Saturdays are soooooo nice, I basically slept all day so yeah lol. Well this chapter is exactly as I explained in chapter eight. Its how Gaara gets back at Sakura basically. Of course its only for this chapter and there's some GaaxSaku fluff at the end of this chapter! Next chapter isn't finished just yet but its almost done and I love it! I'll explain more on that at the end of this chapter. Anyways, here's chapter nine!) **

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**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Nine: Silent Treatment_**

**ONE MONTH LATER**

The next month had been silent and extremely dull. Gaara and Sakura simply refused to talk to each other, let alone look at each other, while the other two were caught in the crossfire. Temari had tried to figure out what had happened between the two but neither would talk. Both were too upset over the whole ordeal. As far as Temari could understand, Sakura had refused Gaara and now he was mad. But if that was the truth then why was Sakura refusing to talk to him? It didn't make any sense.

Kankuro wasn't much help either. He had tried to cheer them both up in many ways but nothing worked. Gaara was too angry about getting rejected while Sakura was just too hurt that he wouldn't forgive her. Life was too cruel. Tonight would be no different. The group would head down to the living room and do something quiet. Normally that involved Kankuro and Temari playing chess while the fighting couple read on opposite sides of the room. It was boring and way too quiet, yet no one could come up with something better to do.

Kankuro and Temari were up first that night, neither one willing to go check on Sakura just yet. It was too hard to watch her stroll sadly around the castle as if she had her heart broken. It was kind of the truth. Gaara was hurting her by keeping away from her. She wanted him to understand her feelings. She didn't want a bed buddy she wanted a lover. If he wasn't willing to give her that then she wouldn't give him what he wanted: sex. She wasn't a slut and she wasn't about to give into every little desire. She wasn't that pathetic.

The two siblings had been planning something for a few days now. It was a foolproof plan to bring the unhappy couple back together. They just had to wait until the couple woke up before they could put it into action. It really was a pretty good plan. Even the couple wouldn't be expecting this one. It was simply ingenious.

Suddenly the sound of a door opening and closing caught their attention. They looked up from their position in the entrance hall to see Sakura appear on the top of the steps. She walked slowly down to join them, her eyes never once meeting theirs. Behind her, another door sounded. For the past month Gaara would wait until she left her room before he'd leave his. It was weird but no one could figure out why he was doing it. At the moment they didn't care. They just wanted to put their plan into action.

Sakura moved to the other side of them as Gaara walked down the stairs. She had grown accustomed to moving away from him whenever he approached. He did it far too often for it not to become a habit.

"Bout time you two. And here we thought we were gonna have to leave without saying anything." Kankuro said, breaking the silence.

Temari nodded, "I was beginning to worry myself."

Sakura looked at their cheeks, not their eyes. "What are you guys talking about?"

"We're leaving. We're going to visit our lovers." Kankuro replied.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise; she hadn't been expecting this at all.

Temari sighed happily. "I've been really missing Shikamaru and now I'm finally gonna get to go see him."

Kankuro nodded, "I know, I miss my woman too."

"Well, I suppose we should be off. We have to get there before sunrise."

"Of course, after you." Kankuro murmured, waving arm toward the door.

"W-wait! You can't just leave like this!" Sakura burst out, fear blooming within her emerald eyes.

"Hm? But we have too." Temari replied.

"Don't worry. We'll be back in a month. I'm sure you two can handle yourselves until then." Kankuro teased.

Sakura stiffened and looked away while Gaara merely snorted.

"Well have fun you two." Kankuro winked then ran out into the night with Temari right after him. The huge front doors slammed shut leaving the unhappy couple by themselves.

Sakura didn't know what to do. She hadn't spoken to Gaara for an entire month and she wasn't about to now. She was worried though, she didn't know how Gaara would act now that they had the house to themselves. This was probably the last thing they were expecting and now neither of them knew what to do. Sakura glanced warily at him before looking away.

Gaara eyed her fully, not the least bit affected by his siblings actions. If they wanted to give them some alone time then fine, he'd gladly take their offer. He had been avoiding Sakura for the past month on purpose. She was the one who wanted to remain abstinent so he was simply obeying her new boundaries and staying away from her. Unfortunately for her she had no idea and she was getting hurt by his actions. He'd fix her confusion in good time but for the moment, he was sick of their little game.

He strode forward making her look up worriedly. He hadn't come near her at all for a month. This slight movement was enough to raise her spirits as well as her warning signs. Gaara didn't stop; he just met her gaze with his steady one and walked closer. Sakura stepped back nervously, not sure what he was planning. His actions were that of a predator. As a vampire, that's exactly what he was. Still, he didn't need to look at her that way. It was unnerving and a little freaky. She didn't like it at all.

"What's wrong Sakura? A thought you wanted some alone time with me."

Sakura glanced up only to find him gone. She looked around worriedly, not sure where he was or where his voice was coming from. _'He said my name…that's a first.'_ It was a plus anyways.

"Y-you…you're an asshole." Her voice was weak but passionate.

His chuckle surrounded her. "I'm the asshole? My dear, I was merely obeying your wish. You wanted to remain abstinent and I was doing my part by staying away from you. You just didn't understand."

Sakura winced. "That's not what I wanted. I didn't want you to avoid me."

"Then what do you want? What do you want me to do?"

She gaze landed on the floor. "I…I want you to forgive me. I want you to understand me dammit!" Her shout was clear and full of her bottled up passion.

Gaara remained silent for a while before he chuckled. "Is that so…"

"Yes…please Gaara, just understand me. Don't leave me alone."

"Now you don't want me to leave you alone? You sure change your tune quick."

Sakura sighed. "I never wanted you to leave me. I never meant to push you away."

"Yes you did but you did it for a reason. As for the first part of that statement…" There was a whooshing sound before two strong arms wrapped securely around her waist.

"I won't leave you Sakura, I promise," he whispered into her ear.

Sakura shivered before she turned around in his hold and flung her arms around his neck. She buried her face against his chest and cried. He held her tightly, already having predicted that this would happen. It wasn't surprising. Women are extremely emotional. It was awhile before she calmed down and stopped crying. By that time his shirt at soaked through, leaving a nice wet mark on his shirt.

Sakura lifted her head and gazed up at him through teary eyes. Gaara stared down at her for a moment before he reached up and brushed away one last tear. It never bugged him before but for some reason he didn't like seeing Sakura cry.

"I'm sorry I made you cry."

Sakura shook her head. "No I needed that. Thank you."

His gaze flickered from her teary eyes to her lips. She was close enough but he didn't want to ruin the moment. It wouldn't be worth it.

Sakura noticed where his gaze landed and gave it a quick thought. On one hand if she let him kiss her it could lead to another rejection. On the other hand if she didn't let him kiss her he might take that as a bigger sign of rejection. Either way he wasn't going to take it well. Still, she could make him happy first. That was worth it, right?

Without another thought she leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Gaara's eyes widened for only a split second before they slid shut as he kissed her back. The familiar warmth of her mouth against his was extremely welcomed at this point. He had no idea he had missed this feeling so much. He really was letting her affect him too much, not that he gave a damn at the moment.

Her head tilted as she kissed him more fully before she pulled back out of the kiss. Gaara's eyes opened as he stared down at pretty pink haired girl in his arms.

"What was that for?"

She shrugged. "Does there have to be a reason for everything?"

"Normally I would say yes but over something like that, I'll say no."

She smiled then kissed his cheek. "I've missed you Gaara."

He nodded then rested his chin on top of her head. "I know, I've missed you too."

The past month had been hard on both of them. Neither of them wanted to hurt the other and yet that's exactly what happened. Now it was time to fix the past mistakes, and both knew exactly how to do just that.

**(A/N: Ugh! That was too short! I just reread the thing and I'm depressed. I actually want to make that chapter longer and I'm the author lol. I wonder why I didn't? I dunno... Anyways, chapter ten is going to lead into the title of this story. Well maybe, it depends on who wins the game of chess in chapter ten lol. It'll be a really interesting game and it'll also be the longest chapter. Well, that's all I gotta say! Review and let me know what you thought! Thanks everyone!)**


	11. Chapter 10, Best Chess Game Ever!

**(A/N: MUWAHAHA! My longest chapter yet! Sorry for the wait everyone! Anywho, I hope this chapter makes up for it! Oh and I'll give you all a fair warning, this story is "M" rated so don't flame me for putting stuff in here you aren't ok with reading. You know what you're getting yourselves into so just be ready. Complete GaaxSaku chapter! No lemons yet, sorry.)**

**I guess that's it really...oh yeah! Especially special thanks to mangafreak007! You rule! Ok...I'm done now...**

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**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Ten: Best Chess Game Ever!_**

Here's the short version of what's going on. Gaara wants Sakura and Sakura wants Gaara to want her even after their first time. She wants him to love her. Gaara hasn't ever felt love before and he's basically incapable of feeling. Or at least that's how it was before he met Sakura. Sakura had been both a positive and negative thing in his life. He was more than thankful he had kept her alive. She was proving to be quite entertaining. But she was also making Gaara weak and that was something he definitely did not want happening.

Still he couldn't complain at the moment. He had never allowed himself to get so close to a woman and yet this girl had penetrated all his barriers and somehow managed to keep him on a leash. It was somewhat embarrassing. Reluctantly he admitted to himself that he actually liked the things she was doing to him. He really couldn't get enough of her. If only she felt the same way for him. If only she wanted him half as much as he wanted her. Then things could get along much more smoothly.

"Gaara?" Her familiar voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Hm?"

She smiled up at him from her position between his legs. (A/N: Now I know this sounds bad but it's not what you think. First of all they're sitting on the stairs. Secondly she is sitting on the step below him with one of his legs on either side of her head. Her back and head are against his chest while his arms are holding her firmly in place. See? Nothing bad about it.)

"You froze for a moment there."

"Sorry," he mumbled, resting his chin on top of her head.

Sakura placed her hands on top of his and traced his fingers. Gaara closed his eyes and turned his hand around so he could entwine her fingers with his.

At the moment this was perfect. They had an entire month to themselves with no interruptions. It would be so easy, too easy, to go all the way sometime within the month. The only thing stopping them was Sakura. The fact that she wants love is just too much for Gaara. He can't tell her he loves her honestly. Sure he could fake his feelings and get what he wants from her, but would it really be worth it? He wasn't so sure.

Although it was mostly Sakura keeping them from that point, there was another obstacle they had missed along the way. It had been over a month since Sakura moved in. Gaara and the others take human blood once a month. Gaara was overdue. His body craved blood, human blood, and that makes Sakura a target or easy meal. It wouldn't take much, just a quick flip of the hair and a dip of the head…

"Gaara you're too quiet again." Sakura complained, pouting.

Gaara frowned, not liking his sudden familiar urge. "Sorry, I just realized something."

"Hm? What?"

"If I tell you, you'll get angry or something."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "I won't get angry."

Gaara didn't believe it but he decided to test it out anyways. Dipping his head down, he moved the hair away from her neck with his nose. He opened his month and gave her throat a quick nip. Her reaction was expected. The sudden shiver was all he needed.

"Listen to me carefully Sakura. I told you before that once a month I need human blood. You're the nearest and weakest human around me. You're easy pickings for a vampire of my caliber. Does that clarify a few things?"

Sakura knew what he meant perfectly. He simply meant that he was the predator again and she was the prey. If he stayed around her too much longer he might not be able to hold back. _'Gaara….' _She shook her head then sighed and closed her eyes.

Sakura stood up and held out her hand to him, "Come with me."

Gaara raised an eyebrow in curiosity but accepted her outstretched hand and allowed her to drag him down the stairs to the living room. He had no idea what she was doing or what she was planning and her thoughts weren't giving her away. It was a shame to have a gift he couldn't use but she caught on fast. She knew better then to think around him. He'd just read her thoughts if she did that. _'Smart woman…'_ He smirked at the back of petite pink-haired girl's head.

Sakura released his hand and walked over to the chess table. She glanced over her shoulder and caught his eye before nodding toward the fireplace. Taking the hint, he went to start a fire while she set up the chessboard. Again he was confused yet curious. He really wasn't expecting to play chess with her and seeing as he had the advantage, he couldn't see why she'd want to play with him either.

Finishing up with the fire, he dusted off his hands and walked over to where Sakura now sat at the chess table. "I have no idea what you're planning but you do realize that chess is probably the last thing you want to play with me. I'll just read your mind before you move. Chess takes thinking and thinking is something you shouldn't do around a vampire," he explained, taking his seat across from her.

Smirking she rested her head on her folded hands, "Gaara, do you honestly think I have no idea what I'm doing?"

"I never said that, I just don't think you've put any thought into it. If you had, I would've known about it."

"Indeed…"

Gaara raised his eyebrow again before sighing and holding up his hands in defeat, "Alright, I give up. Tell me what's going on. I just confessed that I see you as a meal for the night and now you wanna play chess? You must be planning something."

Sakura giggled, "Oh I am but you'll have to listen without interruption."

"Deal."

"Good, now we're gonna play chess. This isn't like the chess Kankuro and Temari were playing, this is my own version. The stakes are a bit higher in this game. If I win, you go hunt elsewhere but if you win…" Sakura tilted her head to the side and flipped her hair behind her shoulder revealing her arched throat.

Gaara gulped and slowly closed his eyes with a hiss, "You…. fiendish woman!"

Sakura chuckled lightly, "Come now Gaara, let's play."

"Are you out of your mind?! Do you honestly want me to bite you?! No human wants that and you shouldn't either!" Gaara exclaimed, glaring at her.

"I'm not afraid of you."

Ok, now that was a shocker. Never in his whole life had anyone ever claimed that they _weren't _afraid of him. Everyone feared him, even Temari and Kankuro to some point. But this woman…she honestly admitted she wasn't scared of him and her thoughts didn't betray her. Either she was crazy to trust a vampire or she was brave, extremely brave. Either way, Gaara found it oddly appealing.

With a smirk he lifted his hand and moved his pawn forward. "Your turn."

Sakura smirked and nodded before glancing down at the board.

"You better take my warning seriously. Keep your thoughts off the game or I will win."

Sakura met his gaze before nodding, "I will."

"Good, your move."

Without giving it any thought at all, she moved. It was a smart move and without using her brains it was even more brilliant. This was going to be a tough game, for both of them.

"Want to make things a bit more interesting?"

Sakura's head snapped up as he finished his play. "How so?"

"How bout every time we lose a piece, the other person gets to kiss the loser anywhere they want?"

For a moment she just stared at him before her face slowly broke out into a beautiful smile. "I'm in."

"Really?"

"Yes but I do have one rule, no removing clothing."

Gaara sighed, "Fine, fine."

Sakura nodded, "Good, looks like I took the first piece." To prove her point, she pushed his pawn off the board letting it clink lightly on the floor.

Gaara leaned back in his chair and smirked at her, "Alright, go ahead. Anywhere you want."

She didn't need to be told twice. Pushing her chair back, she stood up and moved around the table slowly, teasingly. She walked right around him only to stop behind him. Gaara didn't turn around and stayed perfectly calm, totally thinking he'd stay in control no matter what she did. That was until he felt her kiss the spot behind his ear. Blushing was something Gaara never did and yet he couldn't hold it back. Coughing he turned his head away making her giggle and go back to her seat.

"Did I find it?"

His face was still hot but he peeked through his bangs at her, "Find what?"

"Your sensitive spot. I heard that a lot of people either hate or love to get kissed there. Seems to me like you rather liked it," she commented, winking at him.

Gaara snorted, "That was nothing. Wait until I get your pieces."

"I can't wait."

He glanced up then, hearing a totally serious tone. She wasn't looking at him but she didn't have to be. He could tell that she meant that. She really was looking forward to what he offered. _'Alright, maybe I can get somewhere with her yet.'_

"My move," he mumbled, gazing back down at the board. He couldn't win a piece this time but next time…hopefully.

He moved making her smirk, "Too bad, maybe next time."

Gaara grinned at her, "You might want to rethink that."

Sakura held up a finger and wagged it at him, "I never thought of it."

"Whatever," he mumbled, rolling his eyes.

Sakura giggled then made her move.

Gaara glanced down at the board and chuckled as he knocked her pawn to the ground, not caring if it would cost him a horse. He stood up and moved toward her, his eyes narrowing as she stared at him fearlessly.

"You could at least act afraid."

She smirked, "I'm afraid."

He chuckled then turned her around in her chair so she was facing him. He knelt down in front of her and took her face between his hands. "Ready?"

"Just kiss me dammit."

Gaara chuckled then pulled her down and kissed her passionately. His lips moved with hers in a slow, seductive dance. It was sensual and made them both ache for more. His mouth opened as he breathed her in. Taking the hint, her own mouth opened and their tongues met in a fiery passion.

Sakura whimpered as his tongue dove into her mouth and totally ravaged her. She had been expecting a needy kiss from him but nothing this…. HOT! She wasn't sure how long she could keep up this game before she'd forfeit and just let him win. If she didn't, she have to experience more intense kisses like this. She wasn't sure she could handle it.

Finally Gaara broke the kiss but held her face close to his. He stared at her for a minute before he stood up and walked back to seat without a word.

Sakura leaned back in her chair, panting slightly. "My turn right?"

He nodded then waved his hand to the board.

She leaned over the board and easily took the horse he had offered her.

Gaara grinned and leaned back in his chair again, "I don't think you can match my kiss."

Sakura rolled her eyes and stood up, "Careful, you might regret it."

"No, I don't think I will."

Smirking, she strode over to him and grinned mischievously. She was going to play with him, toy with him until he was the one on the edge of losing control.

Gaara's eyes widened in surprise as she straddled him and hung her arms over the back of the chair. She leaned into him, pressing her body flush against him. He hissed at the feeling and quickly wrapped his arms around her.

She chuckled, "Don't get carried away."

"I could say the same to you."

"Go ahead but I still get my kiss."

Gaara smirked up at her, waiting. He figured she'd go for his mouth this time but he was wrong.

Sakura dipped her head and pressed and open-mouthed kiss to his neck. Gaara hissed as her mouth moved opened and closed on his skin while her tongue made shapeless patterns on his throat. _'Damn woman! She knows I can't kiss her neck! Ugh!' _He growled but didn't push her away. He didn't want too either; it felt too good.

She bit his neck sharply, knowing full well that he'd barely feel anything from it. She got a good reaction though as his body jumped. She knew he wanted to be doing this to her but he couldn't, not without the risk of taking her blood. It was the perfect payback. There was no way he could top this.

Giving his neck one last kiss, she moved off of him and stared down at his red neck.

He caught her eye and rolled his, "Go sit down."

She smirked then did as she was told.

He ignored her as she crossed her arms over her chest and watched him with an amused smirk on her face. He could tell she was proud of herself but she was getting ahead of herself. The game was far from over and there were many pieces still on the board. _'The more pieces, the more kisses. I will get my revenge for that neck kiss…just wait,' _he smirked and took a look at the board.

Seeing an opportunity, he knocked another one of her pieces to the floor. Standing up, he pushed the chair aside and marched toward her.

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him, "Do you really think you can match my last kiss?"

"Oh my dear, naive, Sakura…You shouldn't flatter yourself too much. Once I win this little game of yours, you'll get to see first hand what a real throat kiss is like. Now sit back and relax, for this game has just begun…"

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After a half an hour the game had morphed. It was no longer about winning but about taking pieces. Getting to kiss each other anywhere they wanted had turned out to be a great idea and both were enjoying themselves. But the board was clearing up and Sakura had lost more pieces. It was only a matter of time before one of them finally won or gave up.

It was Gaara's turn again and both were getting anxious. They were playing better now and it had been over five turns since someone took a piece. Sakura was impatient enough to let him have one of her pieces but she'd have to wait until her next turn.

"Damn…I can't get a piece," he murmured, moving some random piece.

Sakura shrugged, "This game can't go on forever."

"No I suppose it cannot. Well, make your move."

She didn't need to be told twice. Moving a piece forward at random, Gaara immediately noticed that she had put it right in his line of fire. _'What's she playing at?'_

He shook his head then grinned at her, "I don't know what you're planning but I know a stupid move when I see one. You're supposed to be trying to win, not lose."

"Like I care anymore. We haven't been trying to win since our first move," Sakura pointed out.

"Indeed…well you asked for this," Gaara mumbled, knocking her piece aside and standing up.

Sakura watched him approach with a smirk. She wasn't worried or nervous around him anymore. She was excited, anxious to see what he would do next.

Gaara knew exactly where he was going to kiss her. They had been kissing each other on all visible places: cheek, lips, neck, shoulder, ear…and a lot more. Now he was going to go somewhere else. He remembered Sakura's rule but he also found a way around it. He was sick of just plain kissing. He wanted to make her squirm and moan. This was the perfect opportunity.

Gaara knelt down on the floor in front of her and placed his hands on her waist, his fingers curling under her shirt. Sakura didn't look surprised or worried until he began to lift her shirt.

"Hey, hey! I said no removing clothing!" she exclaimed, trying to remove his hands.

"Who said I was taking it off?"

Sakura gulped as her hands relaxed and let him lift her shirt up higher. He was right, he hadn't said that. Still, she was a little worried. So far they hadn't done anything like this but now…now Gaara was taking everything to a whole new level. She was a bit nervous.

Gaara stopped when his fingers brushed the bottom of her bra. He glanced up only to see her staring down at him warily.

Smirking, he licked his lips, "I'm gonna make you squirm."

Sakura shivered in response.

Liking her reaction to his words, he lifted her shirt up to her neck, revealing her bra. Sakura blushed as his gaze practically burned through the material. She didn't know what he was planning but a part of her wanted to find out. The other smarter part wanted her to push him away. This time…she stayed put.

Gaara moved one hand to the center of her bra and gently pulled it upward to where her shirt stayed trapped beneath his fingers. Sakura inhaled sharply as the cold air reached her bare chest. Her gaze stuck to him as she watched his reaction to her newly revealed upper body. She didn't catch much, just a tiny smirk as his gaze took in her form.

Chuckling he lifted his gaze to meet hers, "Ready?"

She gulped. "For what?"

"For my kiss of course," he replied leaning closer.

Sakura shivered again and let out a gasp as his free hand cupped her left breast. Her eyes shut tightly as new sensations flew through her body. Sure he had done this before but not to her bare chest. Maybe that's why she wasn't so worried.

Gaara kneaded her breast gently making her tremble. He knew she would fight him and herself. She wouldn't give into his actions. She would fight and refuse her own emotions and desires. _'That's fine; I'll take my time. In the end she will moan for me.'_

"Don't fight your own body Sakura. We're alone, you can voice your pleasure."

She snorted and glanced down at him, "No thanks, I'll pass."

"Suit yourself, you'll be moaning in no time." With that said he leaned down and kissed her other breast.

Sakura gasped and shivered against him. _'I won't give in…'_

'_You will, just wait.'_

Sakura glanced down at him to see him watching her, "We'll see."

With a chuckle he closed his eyes and began to suckle on her breast. Sakura grasped the arms of her chair tightly, desperately. Her nails raked the poor wood, leaving indents. She had always wondered what it would feel like to have someone else touching her this way but she never expected it to feel…. like this! It was unbelievable and yet she wouldn't let him know that.

He twirled his tongue around her perky nipple earning another gasp from her. Her back arched, pressing her breast firmly against his mouth. Gaara took it in, kissing and sucking tenderly. She fought hard, holding down every moan that threatened to come out. She wouldn't lose to him. She would stand strong, no matter what.

Well that was the plan until she felt his fangs rake her breast. Her head tilted back as a small yet audible moan escaped her lips. That was all he needed to hear. He released her completely and stood up. Sakura panted below him, her eyes half lidded in undeniable pleasure. He was the one to make her look like this. It was all his doing. _'Damn…'_ He sighed and raked a hand through his hair, not sure what do anymore. He only planned on continuing until she moaned but…she looked so beautiful! He didn't want to stop…

"Gaara?"

He met her gaze and watched half-heartedly as she lowered her shirt and bra back into place. _'Nevermind then…next time for sure.'_

"Come on, let's finish this game," he muttered, turning to return to his chair.

"Wait!"

Gaara glanced back at her only to see her on her feet. The next thing she did totally caught him off guard. She grabbed the chessboard and flung it aside, tossing pieces all over the floor.

"You win…I give up," she breathed.

His eyes widened in response. _'Ok…. was not expecting that one…'_

"Wait…that means you lose so...?"

Sakura nodded, "Exactly, my blood is yours." To prove her point she tossed her hair aside, revealing her neck.

Gaara gulped, "W-wait this isn't how I wanted to win…"

"I admit that I'm nervous and a little afraid to get bit but if its you I don't mind as much. For some reason I can't explain, I kind of want you to bite me, just so I can see what its like. Please Gaara? Just accept that you won."

"You don't understand, if I bite you I could…." He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

"You won't kill me, Gaara. I trust you," she murmured, smiling at him.

Gaara glanced away as his body moved forward. Even if he didn't want to bite her, his body craved blood and that's what she was offering. He couldn't fight his blood lust, not even it meant biting Sakura.

He approached her cautiously as she stepped toward him. One arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her close while his other hand cupped the back of her neck. His fangs felt heavy as his head began to pound. He could feel her veins beneath his hand. He needed this…desired this…

Sakura craned her neck to the side and eyed him, "Will it hurt?"

"….Yes…"

She nodded then closed her eyes and waited. She really was too good to him.

He sighed then leaned down and licked the length of her neck. She shivered against him making him growl in response. His feral side was coming out and soon he wouldn't even be able to speak to her. But she wouldn't be able to speak either once she fainted from blood loss.

His eyes began to glow as his mouth opened and pressed his fangs to her throat. She didn't move, didn't even shiver in fear. Either she was really brave or just faking it really well. Either way, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered…just her blood… Giving her neck a gentle, comforting squeeze, he bit down, digging his fangs deep into her neck and vein.

Her body jumped in surprise and pain. She expected it to hurt like a bitch but…it only hurt for that first second. After that she couldn't feel anything. She was numb, almost like she was floating. But that only lasted until she heard it, the sound of him drawing in her blood, drinking and taking her blood into him. She never would've found it arousing before but for some odd reason, it was totally turning her on!

She grabbed him desperately, feeling as if her legs could give out at any second. Her head was spinning but not from blood loss, more like from pleasure. It actually felt good! She was in utter ecstasy and she never wanted to leave.

For Gaara it was nearly the same feeling. Her blood was rich, pure, and absolutely delicious! He had tasted virgin blood before but he had never tasted anything like this! It was unbelievable! He wanted so much more but he knew there was a limit. He could only take so much if he wanted to keep her alive. Still, she tasted like heaven and he wanted to taste it over and over again.

Gaara drank deeply, running his tongue over her throat to catch any loose trails of blood. His fangs were in as deep as they could go and yet it felt like it wasn't enough. Temari had explained that it would never be enough until you reached the point of bliss. More specifically you must have be having sex with someone then right at the point of climax, if you bite them you'll taste the most satisfying and most delicious blood in the entire world. Gaara wanted that and he wanted to try it with Sakura.

Speaking of Sakura, her head was falling backwards and her body was beginning to grow limp. She was nearing her limit meaning he had to stop. Taking one last gulp he removed his fangs and licked the puncture wounds on her neck. They closed instantly leaving only a few specks of blood. Sakura leaned heavily against him but she was still conscious.

"Sakura?"

Her body trembled against him making him worry. _'Did I go too far?' _

He grabbed her face and tilted it back so he could see what was wrong. To his surprise she wasn't crying or shaking in fear. Instead she was laughing!

"…Gaara!" she exclaimed, hugging him weakly around the neck.

"Uh…are you alright?" He had no idea what was going on. Usually whenever he bit someone they would be in so much pain that they'd be screaming and crying. But then again, he had never bitten a woman before, only men.

"I'm fine, a little weak, but fine."

"Are you in pain at all? Didn't it hurt?" Gaara had to ask. This was too weird.

Sakura shook her head, "Nope. It hurt a little at first but after that…. ugh! Gaara that felt so good! I've never felt anything so amazing as that! I was in complete bliss."

"It felt good? Are you sure you're sane?"

Sakura laughed and smiled at him, "I'm sane, I swear."

Gaara stared at her for a long time, not sure if he should believe her or not. But she seemed perfectly fine, maybe even better than before. Relieved, he hugged her to him and buried his face in her hair.

Sakura froze for a moment before she hugged him back. "I'm ok Gaara. You didn't hurt me at all."

"I'm glad you're so relieved and happy but I am curious about something," Sakura murmured, leaning back to look him in the eye.

"Hm? What?"

She smirked, "How did it taste?"

Gaara blinked a few times before he chuckled and patted her head, "You're crazy. What kind of human asks a vampire that?"

"This kind of human, now answer me."

He nodded, "Alright, alright. Your blood is amazing. I've never tasted anything quite like that. You're absolutely delicious."

Sakura smiled, "So it was good?"

"Better than good. It was excellent."

"So have you tasted a lot of different blood?" she asked, removing herself from his grasp.

Gaara shrugged, "Enough, why?"

"I just want to know how I stand compared to all of them."

"You're worried about that? Woman, you are insane. But if really must know, your blood is the best thing I've ever tasted," he replied, giving her a quick peck to her lips.

Sakura yawned, "Is that right?"

"Yes but I think this ordeal took too much out of you. You're tired and weak."

She glared at him, "I am not weak."

He chuckled and scooped her up in his arms, "Of course you're not. Now be a good girl and shut up."

She huffed but kept quiet as he carried her back to her bedroom. He laid her down on her bed and made a move to leave when she lashed out and grabbed his wrist.

He glanced down at her and raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"

"Stay with me, please?" she pleaded.

Gaara wasn't one to give into anyone or anything. He didn't take orders from anyone or comply with anyone's wishes. And yet, when this plain, human, girl asked him this one little request, he found it impossible to refuse.

With a nod he crawled into bed beside her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against him.

"You do realize this is a once in a lifetime thing, right? I won't do this again."

Sakura nodded and yawned, "I know."

"Good," he mumbled, resting his chin on top of her head.

She nuzzled her face into his chest and sighed, "Thank you Gaara."

He stiffened for a moment before he sighed, "Yeah…"

**(W00T! All finished! I hope you're all satisfied with that chapter because I'm not rewritting it again! Stupid computer deleted it once already... Next chapter...uh...not really sure, probably some more SakuxGaa stuff and I'll probably skip ahead again. I have to get through this month quickly because I've got a bunch of ideas for the future. Those ideas involve demons (Sasuke, Itachi, Naruto, and others) and also demon slayers (Neji, Tenten, Kakashi, and others). So yeah, I need to get going. Thanks for reading! And thank you my lovely reviewers!! You all rock!!)**


	12. Chapter 11, Under the Moon

**(A/N: OMGGGGGG!! I'm sooooooooooooooo sorry ppl!! You've all been so patient and loyal! Thank you!! I love you all! Its been a really long time, I know. I haven't been into Naruto lately so I haven't touched my stories in forever! I'm really sorry. I'll try to get back into this story at least. I'm having trouble with my other stories but thats that. Well I hope you all like this chapter. Next chapter will definitely come sooner than this one did -.- I'm really, really sorry about that. Well here you go, another chapter you've all been waiting for. Enjoy)**

**Disclaimer--Stephenie Meyer has a part in this chapter that belongs solely to her. Sorry about that -.- Guess I needed more help than I realized to update again. My apologies readers; I'm sorry I didn't add this before. I love her to death so I wasn't trying to steal or anything. She's the greatest author of all time (in my opinion :P)! I'm really sorry.**

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**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Eleven: Under the Moon_**

**THREE WEEKS LATER**

Three weeks had passed since that unforgettable night. They hadn't done much since then; little kisses here and there, and the occasional make-out session. Other then that, nothing had happened. You'd think it would've been a boring three weeks but it's quite the opposite. It's been all about the games…

"This game won't work! I can smell you!" Gaara hollered as he strode through the huge castle.

Sakura had decided on a new game for the evening. Nearly everyday they've played some kind of game. Whether that was a board game, a video game, or an actual get-up-and-play game, they played something. Today's game was hide and seek…. and it wasn't going very well.

Gaara grinned as he entered the kitchen. _'Not bad… with so many different scents it's a bit harder to pick out just one. Still, I'm too used to her scent and I can easily pick hers out among thousands.' _

Gaara walked over to a cabinet on the other side of the room and knelt down. "Knock, knock…" he murmured.

There was an exasperated sigh before the door was opened revealing a cramped and annoyed Sakura.

"You suck."

He smirked, revealing his fangs, "Yes, in fact, I do."

She rolled her eyes then crawled out of the cabinet only to sit on the floor beside him. Gaara knew she wasn't mad, just annoyed. She had worked hard to come up with so many games for them to play and yet most were at a disadvantage for her. This was her 13th failure.

"Alright say it, I can take it one more time," she muttered, glancing at him.

He chuckled and patted her head, "Fine, you sure can pick'em."

"Thank you."

Gaara smirked then grabbed her arm and pulled her onto his lap. She struggled for only a moment before she complied and rested her head against his chest. For a cold hearted vampire, he was proving it be a big softie.

"So what now? We still have a week before Temari and Kankuro return…" Sakura asked, not wanting to get too comfortable just yet.

Gaara knew they were running out of ideas. He couldn't tell if she wanted to play games to distract him or if she really just thought it was fun, but either way, they were reaching the end of their list. _'She's always moving away when things get too hot and she's always coming up with some stupid game to play. As much as I enjoy beating her, I'm getting tired of her running away.'_

Gaara knew there was only one thing she wanted to distract him on: sex. She didn't want him even thinking about it. She was always avoiding him when things, or him, got out of hand. Not that any of it mattered. Sooner or later she would come to him willingly.

Deciding to take another shot at it, he scooped her up then got to his feet.

"Would you just put me down? I can walk!" Sakura exclaimed, struggling against him.

"Settle down, I'm taking you somewhere special today…"

Sakura quickly stilled. "Oh? Where?"

Gaara chuckled then placed a kiss on her forehead. "That's for me to know and for you to find out."

She huffed then looked away, "You're no fun."

"Oh I'm plenty of fun. I mean really, how many times have you seen a vampire playing Candyland? Or Guitar Hero? I think it's my turn to decide what we do tonight…" Gaara murmured, walking up to the front door.

Sakura had to hand it to him. She had been very pushy for the past three weeks. Not only had he played every game she threw at him, but he also played fairly. He didn't help her, didn't let her win, didn't do anything for her in any way. She was pleased with him. It was only fair for him to choose the game tonight.

"So is this another game or…?"

"You could call it that."

Sakura glared at him. "Can't you give me a hint?"

He chuckled, "Absolutely not. For a human you are too intelligent. One hint could give everything away."

"Its not fair! You can read my mind so nothing is safe from you," she murmured, pouting.

Gaara glanced down at her and smirked. Sometimes she could be really cute. "Relax koi; you have nothing to worry about."

Koi was their little nickname for each other. The word was really used for lovers but if either of them acknowledged this fact, they never said anything.

Sakura sighed but nodded, "Fine but this had better be good."

"Oh it will be… it will be."

That was when she heard it, a very unfamiliar sound….

Turning her head, she gazed wide-eyed at the huge front doors slowly opening before her. Never once during her entire stay here, had she been outside of the castle-like house before. This was a first.

"Wait…we're leaving?"

"What? You don't want too?" he questioned, knowing for a fact she couldn't complain about this in any way.

Sakura glanced over his shoulder as the doors closed behind them, leaving the indoor world behind. "Can I be nervous now?"

"We're not even there yet!"

"Well then why don't you tell me where we're going? I haven't even left the house yet!" she exclaimed, looking around at the unfamiliar nightlife.

Gaara sighed but stayed firm. He wasn't going to give into this pesky girl just yet. "Just bear with me. I'm doing my best here."

Sakura met his gaze and dipped her head, "I'm sorry, I'll shut up."

He nodded and grinned, "Good, now hold on tight."

"Huh? Why-AH!" She flung her arms around his neck tightly as he began to run.

Vampires had many talents but even the stupidest human should know that they are faster than humans. Sakura was totally unprepared for the sudden burst of speed. It wasn't long before she got dizzy from watching the world fly past. With a groan, she buried her face into his chest and listened to his chest rumble as he chuckled.

If there was one thing Gaara loved more than anything, it was running. There was nothing like racing through a packed forest, blindly dodging trees by mere centimeters. It was a thrill and one he was finally getting to share with someone else. Of course this someone didn't find it as thrilling as he did.

'_I'm gonna hurl…'_ she groaned.

"Just a sec, we're almost there," Gaara murmured, not really liking the thought of her throwing up on him.

Sakura nodded weakly, but her confidence was failing. Sure she could act brave most of the time but when it came to running at blinding speeds and barely missing trees…yeah she just couldn't pull a brave-front now.

Gaara should've known better. Everyone, even vampires, have fears. If Sakura wasn't afraid of high speeds or near collisions, she sure didn't act like it. He should feel bad or guilty for making her uncomfortable but instead he was smirking, pleased with himself for finding her weakness. _'I wonder what other fears or secrets she's hiding…'_

Sakura grasped his shirt tightly, trying to fight off her nauseous feeling but nothing worked. _'Oh god! I'm gonna-'_

"We're here."

Sakura froze for a moment before she lifted her head to gaze around at the still world. After running at such high speeds she was worried the world would still be moving. Thankfully, it was still and peaceful. The area was very secretive with thick trees hiding this small clearing. To her surprise, there was a small shack in the middle of the clearing with a huge hot springs on the other side.

"A hot springs?" she questioned, glancing at him.

He smirked, "Hey even vampires like to relax."

"Hm…well what are we doing here?"

"We're here to relax as well. Now come on, we don't have all night," he joked.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Yeah I get it! I've been sleeping all day and even into the night now. Sue me!"

Gaara smirked then ruffled her hair playfully, "Relax koi, you're here to relax not get prissy."

"Whatever, let's just get this over with," she murmured, marching toward the shack.

Gaara chuckled then chased after the fiery pink-haired human

The shack was small but had two doors: one for boys and one for girls. Sakura glanced at the doors before she sighed then turned around to face Gaara who cocked in eyebrow at her.

"Yes?"

"I don't have anything to wear," she murmured.

Gaara snorted, "And? You fail to remember that I prefer to see you naked."

Sakura scowled, "And you fail to remember that I _refuse_ to let you see me naked!"

"I know, I know. If you're that modest you can wear a towel in the water. Either way it doesn't matter to me, I just want you to get in."

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, I'll go in," she muttered before turning and walking through the girl's door.

Gaara stared after her for a moment before he smirked then turned to head through his own doorway.

* * *

Sakura stepped out of the shack warily, a frown carved on her face. She didn't look happy at all and considering that her towel barely covered all the essentials, Gaara couldn't really blame her. Still the way her hair was up revealed her long, flawless neck that made his fangs ache. This wasn't the time for him to feel that urge but he couldn't help himself. She looked so delectable!

Sakura scowled when she noticed the familiar stare of her vampire companion. _'Damn horny vampire…'_

"Always koi, now get in," came his amused reply through the thick steam.

Sakura sighed then walked to the water's edge and slowly knelt down to feel the water. It was warm but not too hot. She wouldn't have minded if it was boiling; she just wanted to get in.

"You just gotta delay the inevitable, don't you?" Gaara commented, moving closer to where she knelt by the water.

"I was just checking the temperature, not delaying anything. Now give me some space or I'm leaving."

Ok, now that was funny. There was no way in hell she'd be able to get away from him. He was far too quick and strong for her to escape. Besides, he'd never let her even get the chance too. He was too attached to her already.

Gaara chuckled, "Try it, I dare you."

With a tender smile, she jumped to her feet and began to turn back toward the shack. She might've made it at least a step if Gaara hadn't been right below her. The only warning sign she had was his hand around her ankle before she was tugged backwards into the water.

Sakura let out a yelp as she went under; totally unprepared for anything like this to happen. Of course it didn't take long for her to regain her wits and resurface only moments later with a deadly glare targeted for only one, increasingly annoying, vampire.

"Gaara! You are sooooo toast! Are you out of your mind?! No, don't answer that, of course you are! If you want to get a girl to do _anything_ you're supposed to charm her, not force her or in this case, drown her! I mean really, do I look like a fish to you?!" Sakura exclaimed angrily, totally pissed off at the moment.

She stopped for a moment, expecting a response out of him but he did nothing but stare at her. She would've been ok with him staring at her like she was crazy or like he was guilty but instead he looking at her with a very…lustful look in his eyes. A look she was getting more and more familiar with…

"Uh, why are you staring at me like that?" she questioned, hands on her hips in annoyance.

He didn't reply. Instead he merely blinked then lifted his hand out of the water to hold something up for her to see.

"Oh great now what is that?" she murmured, eyeing it a bit closer. Suddenly her eyes widened, "Is that my…?" With a glance down at herself she gasped and crossed her arms over her once bare chest.

Gaara knew he shouldn't stare and should probably have listened to her yell at him but the moment she resurfaced the view at been far too pleasant to pass up. What guy in his right mind would ignore Sakura half naked? Though it was a little amusing that she had no clue. He probably shouldn't have told her but he couldn't keep from staring at her or even find words to try and keep her preoccupied.

How her towel ended up near him was odd but he wasn't complaining. So long as it was away from her, he was happy. This was too good to pass up.

"Gaara give me my towel," she ordered, holding out one hand while trying desperately to keep herself covered up.

Gaara was still slightly frozen but a wondrous image of Sakura alone with him, in a hot springs, with no towels, popped into his mind. With a smirk, he tossed her towel as far away as he could.

Sakura stared after it in dismay. If a human had thrown it, it never would've gotten very far but Gaara was definitely not a human. The towel was long gone and she had no hope of getting it back.

Growling, she opened her mouth to demand he give up his towel but stopped when she noticed yet another towel in his hand. "Gaara…don't you dare," she murmured, her eyes widening when she realized what he was planning.

Gaara smirked again before tossing his towel far, far away.

Sakura closed her eyes and tried to stay calm. _'It's just Gaara and I, alone in the hot springs, completely naked. It's alright, everything is perfectly normal. There's no way he'd try something here of all places-'_

"Sakura…"

Her thoughts trailed off as her eyes opened to stare at the vampire who addressed her. It didn't take her very long to realize just how close he had gotten, or how his eyes glowed with undeniable desire.

She should've said no, she should've stepped away, she should've demanded he go and retrieve their towels, but she did something much different, something she never should've done. She did nothing.

As his arms wrapped slowly and securely around her waist, bringing her far too close to him and forcing her to place her hands on his chest, she found herself at a loss for words. Her speech was gone as were any protests she had. Now there was only one thing on her mind as he leaned down to capture her lips in a tender yet fiery kiss.

'_Gaara!'_

**(Ugh, sry ppls, but I had to leave off at a cliffy. It makes it soooo much easier to write the next chapter. The next chapter is gonna throw you all for a loop but I'll give you a nice section of GaaxSaku first. If you were expecting a longer chapter, sry but I'll never have another long chapter like chapter ten. Its not that they're hard to write its just too much. But anyways, please bear with me and be patient. I'm trying to get back into Naruto but its taking awhile. Thank you all, for your patience, your loyalty, and most of all, your wonderful reviews! Seriously, if I hadn't gotten so many reviews I might not've updated at all. So thank you guys! Really, your all wonderful!) **


	13. Chapter 12, Two Become One

**(Finally! Alright I worked nonstop all day to finish this chapter. This is my major warning chapter. Its completely "M" rated so be prepared. If you don't like "M" rated stuff then I suggest you go straight to the end. Everyone else, enjoy! I did this one the best I could and yet I keep making Gaara OC, ugh! I'm trying to get his character right but I can't seem to do it. Anyways, here it is, chapter 12)**

* * *

**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Twelve: Two Become One_**

Sakura moaned as he trailed hot kisses down her neck, collarbone, and even her breasts. His hesitation was gone, as was hers. Passion had consumed them both and this was the only way to relieve themselves. They needed this, more than anything. It was time for them to finally ignore everything else and only worry about one thing: each other.

Her back arched over the edge of the springs as his mouth closed on one of her peaked nipples. He had kissed her passionately, while leading her to the springs' edge where one row of man-made stone seats were built in the water. With her back pressed against the warm rocks and him kneeling over her legs, he was more than pleased with the accessibility of her exposed body.

Her hands gripped his fiery hair and held him tight against her chest, willing him to do so much more. He didn't need encouragement; he was going all the way this time, though he was pleased that she finally wanted it too. He really didn't understand why she suddenly gave into him but he couldn't really think about anything right now. He was far too focused on this, all too willing beauty, within his grasp.

"Gaara…please, more…" Sakura managed, panting heavily, forcing her heaving chest further into his moist depth. She was in heaven; there wasn't any other way to describe it. She had truly died and gone to heaven. Remarkably, she brought a vampire with her.

With a groan he complied with her request and reached up to engulf her other breast with his palm. Sakura shuddered against him and pressed her chest fully into his hand and mouth. Gaara grinned against her flesh and squeezed with his hand and nibbled gently on her breast. Her response was a desperate, hair clenching, cry. He let out another low groan as his already excited lower friend managed to twitch and react painfully to her cry.

The things she did to him…She was the devil herself; she had to be. Who else could drive a vampire so far with nothing but desire? She was simply amazing or unreal. Unreal seemed pretty realistic at this point and Gaara was ready to believe anything by now. If she admitted she's a werewolf he probably wouldn't catch it.

A sharp tug, though nothing even slightly painful, brought him back to her eye level. Staring at her flushed, sweating skin made him gulp slowly and fight back his desperation. She was unbearable! Everything was too freaky. No human should ever be able to seduce a vampire and yet here she was, in his arms and finally giving into her desire. This was too good to be true.

His thoughts fled as she captured his mouth in a passionate, tongue-twirling frenzy. Even as a vampire he couldn't keep up with all this! It was just too much. This girl was doing far too many things to him and it was about time he did something about. That something was to finally make her his and his alone. No one would ever touch her.

Sakura wound her thin arms around his neck and held him as close to herself as possible. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what the hard object pressing against her hip and leg was. She wasn't that stupid. She was a top performer and always will be. Though her mind seemed to be fogged up she still managed to take a mental note at what state her vampire was in.

She was the one to make hm act this way, to fill him to the brim with nothing but desire. She was making him pant, groan, and grunt and yet he still looked totally hot, maybe even hotter than before! Seeing him totally aroused for her sent a trail of desire straight to her core. She wanted this man, this vampire. He wanted her too and this time, she wasn't going to fight the inevitable. This was the moment they had waited for…

"Sakura…I can't stand this much longer…I need you…Now!"

Sakura stared back at the flushed, panting vampire hovering over her lips. He was urgent and fueled solely by desire. Normally she would find this insulting but right now, it was pretty damn hot.

"I'm not fighting you anymore Gaara…I want this too…" she admitted, leaning up to kiss him softly, almost innocently.

Gaara groaned and forced himself to ask, "Your absolutely sure? You can't take it back once its gone." Maybe he was foolish to ask this. He didn't want her to back out now but he also didn't want her to do something she'd regret later.

To his great surprise, she growled, "Just take me, dammit! I don't care about what happens in the future or how I'll feel about this later. I only care about now so do your worst! Make me yours, Gaara!"

As if he had to be told twice?

Gaara leaned down and captured her mouth in another frantic kiss as his hands slid beneath the water to grab her thighs gently and ease them apart. She didn't fight him; simply let her body move to his whim. He didn't really want their first time to be like this, in some hot springs with both of them sitting straight up and down. He wanted to totally dominate her and he couldn't like this. Yet he couldn't take her somewhere else either. She might not be as willing if he waited any longer.

He probably could've thought of some way to do this better but he couldn't think straight. With her tongue dancing and rubbing against his, all he could think of was her and how much he needed her. He didn't have time to think and frankly, he didn't want too anymore. This was the moment. It didn't matter if it wasn't how he pictured it; this was exactly how he wanted her, ready and willing.

"Gaara!"

He snapped out of it and gazed down as the beautifully flushed, panting girl. She was all his. It was now or never.

Leaning closer, he pressed his length to her core. "This is going to hurt…" he warned, watching her face closely for any signs that she wanted him to stop.

"I know…" she breathed.

Gaara growled then nodded and thrust deep within her, breaking her inner barrier quickly and easily.

Sakura flinched and tried to ignore the pain but it hurt…a lot! It felt as if she was breaking, as if a part of her had been ripped in two. With a whimper she cried as silently as she could, willing the pain to subside.

Gaara didn't move a muscle below his waist. He quickly kissed her face gently, placing soft kisses on her cheeks, neck, and forehead. He knew it would hurt her but he still hated to see her cry. It was his fault, though it was inevitable. Yet, he knew it was worth it. Her pain, her sacrifice, was all worth it. The pleasure they both would feel momentarily, would so be worth it.

"Sakura?"

Sakura stared up at him, her tears fading along with her pain. Testing, she wiggling her hips a tiny bit only to feel something much different than pain shoot through her.

With a sigh, she smiled up at him, "Now that's what I've been waiting for."

Gaara blinked a few times before he smirked then kissed her lips quickly, "Are you ready?"

She rolled her eyes, "Are you serious? I've been ready."

With one last smirk, he began to move. He pulled out slowly, watching her face for any signs of pain. He saw nothing that resembled pain, but instead he saw disappointment.

'_Strange girl…but I like it,'_ he mused with a smirk.

Digging his fingers into the rock wall behind her, he thrust in as hard and as deep as he could without breaking her. He had to keep reminding himself that she was only a human and therefore, breaks easily. He didn't want to cause her pain anymore, only pleasure. What he was feeling was more than just pleasure. He wondered if she was feeling the same…

Sakura bit back a moan as he sheathed himself fully within her. It felt absolutely amazing! How could she have denied herself this kind of pleasure? Was she mental? She didn't know anymore but damn, it felt great. The feeling of him filling her, completely buried deep within her, was unbelievable. As awesome as it was, it wasn't enough. She could feel something burning deep within her, something wanting out of her. She didn't know how, but she had to do something about it.

Leaning up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her body tight against him. Placing light kisses along his neck, she moved her hips against his, earning a groan of pleasure from the vampire.

"I need more Gaara. Please…more," she begged, sucking and biting at his neck gently.

How could he refuse? With a growl he pulled out sharply and lunged back in. She threw her head back and moaned, making him shudder. He wanted to hear more beautiful sounds from her lips…

Again he moved, pulling out and thrusting back in, harder and deeper, slowly gaining momentum as their bodies seemed to light on fire. He was burning, and her skin felt like flames against his. It was so hot, and it had nothing to do with the water surrounding them. Hell, the water felt ice cold! Not that he was paying any attention to the water anyways.

Sakura moaned and whimpered against him, rocking her hips in time with his. She couldn't believe how good she was feeling! Was it possible for her skin to be this hot? Or for her to sweat this much? She never thought it was possible to sweat in water but she was being proven wrong now by a long shot. The burning feeling within her was rising fast, moving closer and closer to his length. It almost felt like it was surrounding him, constricting around him.

She could feel every inch of his length, every ridge, every line, everything! He was like a burning rod being shoved within her, but god it felt amazing! She noticed something too, though she couldn't tell if it was water surrounding them or not, but something hot was dripping within her. She couldn't tell if it was coming from him, her, or the water but she kind of doubted the last one. Not that she minded it either way. It felt great!

Gaara wasn't fairing as well. He was panting hard now, his thrusts becoming needy and frantic. He needed release badly! He could feel her core tightening around him and he knew she was nearing her climax as well. As much as he wanted to worry about her needs, he couldn't focus on anything but his own burning need. He had to be inside her, he had to claim her as his! He wanted her, needed her, but he couldn't say it. This was his way of proving it. It had to be done.

"Sakura…I'm so close…" he panted, clenching the wall behind her making it crack.

Sakura lifted her face to smile at him, "Then finish."

As much as he wanted too he couldn't make himself do it.

Sakura felt his movements halt, his thrusting end though he stayed deep inside her. She didn't know why he was hesitating but she knew how to get him to continue.

Leaning up she kissed his ear gently before whispering, "What are you waiting for, koi? I want you to finish, I want you to _cum_!" She hissed the last part, amazed at herself for being able to say it out loud.

Her words had the desired affect. Gaara groaned loudly and began pounding into her with a renewed vigor. It didn't take long after that before he arched over her, removed his hands from the wall and grabbed her sleek frame, then came deep within her with a shout.

Sakura moaned as his seed filled her core. It was hot, oh so hot, but it felt so good! Her body tightened in response to his climax and suddenly she felt something give way inside of her. With a cry she came too, tightening around his length making him hiss at the feeling.

Neither could move for a while. All they could do was pant and stare at each other in awe. Gaara had waited so long for this and Sakura had never felt pleasure or satisfaction like this before. They needed this, hell they needed each other! They just didn't realize until now.

"Sakura?"

"Hm? Yes Gaara?" she breathed, reaching up to stroke his cheek softly.

He leaned into her touch and sighed, "Thank you."

"For what?" she questioned, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"For this. I know you didn't want it and I hope you don't regret it later but-"

"Stop."

Gaara paused and stared down at her in surprise. Her face was still flushed but her eyes were like the gem they resembled, complete emerald.

"Do you honestly think I'll regret this later?" she questioned, a little hurt that he would think that.

"Well I don't know. I hope not, but you never really wanted it so I assumed-"

"Don't assume then. Gaara, koi, I loved this! I've never felt this good in my life. How could I possibly regret something that made me feel so alive? I have no regrets. I am perfectly fine with what happened and I wouldn't mind one bit if it happened again," she explained, leaning up to kiss him gently.

Gaara sighed against her lips, "Sakura…"

"Yes?"

If there was ever a time to confess something, now was that time. He knew this was the moment; this was the only chance he'd have to tell her how much he wanted her, how much he needed her in his life. He had never felt this way before. He had always been a loner, a mean, hated vampire whose only companions were his siblings. It was sad but it was the truth. Now he wanted someone else in his life. He wanted her…

"Sakura I-"

"Gaara!" A familiar cry voice shouted from nearby. The voice was frantic, worried even.

Gaara growled as the lousy timing but quickly captured Sakura's lips in a kiss before pulling completely out of her.

"Looks like we've got company. Stay here, I'll go get our towels," Gaara explained before jumping out of the water and rushing into the forest bare-naked.

If Sakura hadn't been so confused she probably would've enjoyed the sight. Something was wrong though. Someone had been shouting his name. But who could've possibly found them all the way out here?

"Here."

Sakura glanced up as Gaara appeared above her with his hand outstretched to her. She grabbed his hand and he lifted her out of the water easily then wrapped her towel around her naked form.

"Gaara what's going on?" she questioned.

"I have no idea but we'll find out in a second," he replied, eyeing the forest darkly.

As if on cue the nearby bushes rustled and a familiar person stepped out of the forest into their view.

"Oh. My. God!"

**(Ohhhh I'm so bad! I made another cliffy, sorry!! I hope you can forgive me tho, since I posted this chapter faster than my last one. I supposed this cliffy isn't as bad as the last one but seriously, I wouldn't know cuz I'm just the author. I'm sorry!! I'll hopefully have the next one done soon too but I've just started it so who knows. Again, check out my profile to see what's coming next! I always post what my next chapter will be about so check it out! Oh yeah! You reviewers are amazing!! Thank you all soooooooo much! Really, I can't thank you enough for all you've done. This story is my best so far and I'm so proud of it thanks to all of you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!)**


	14. Chapter 13, Attack

**(A/N: Yay! See I'm updating faster! Lol, I love this story again! It's sooooo easy to write now! As much as you all hated the cliffies they've really helped. I'm sorry but I hope this chapter will make up for it. It's not a cliffy! Well at least, I don't think it is. Hope you like it!)**

* * *

**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Thirteen: Attack_**

"Kankuro!" Sakura cried, rushing forward to aid the wounded vampire.

He was bleeding, badly, from numerous wounds all over his body. He was in bad shape and yet his face was hard, serious, and staring straight at Gaara.

"We've got a problem Gaara," he muttered, his fangs showing as he gave a silent snarl.

"What is it? Who did this to you?" Gaara demanded, his eyes darkening at the sight of his brother wounded.

"Demons."

"Demons?" Sakura questioned, using the sides of her towel to wipe some of the blood off of his body.

"How many?" Gaara questioned.

"At least 30 of them. Temari and I just arrived back home when they attacked. She's still back there holding them off but she needs help," Kankuro explained, his fists clenching angrily.

Gaara nodded then quickly grabbed Sakura and pulled her into the shack. It had been quite some time since their little family encountered any demons so this was rare and terrifying at the same time. The three siblings were strong but could they really handle 30 demons? Gaara didn't know but he didn't want to lose his home to those fiends.

"Gaara?"

Gaara froze at the sound of Sakura's voice. "Yeah?"

She was completely dressed as she appeared beside him, thankfully, but she looked extremely worried. "Will Temari be alright?"

"If we get there soon she will be. Temari is tough; she can handle a few little demons," Gaara replied, taking her hand and tugging her back outside.

Kankuro was staring into the forest as the two approached him once more. His fists were clenched and a fierce snarl was etched into his features. He looked pissed.

Sakura pulled away from Gaara to gently grasp Kankuro's hand, making him glance down at her. "Are you ok Kankuro?" she questioned, examining his wounds.

His hard expression softened before he smirked at patted her head, "I'll be alright. I'm a vampire, remember? These wounds will heal in no time."

Sakura didn't look totally convinced but she nodded anyways then stepped back into Gaara's embrace.

Gaara lifted her into his arms then nodded to Kankuro, "Let's go."

Kankuro nodded then before Sakura could figure out what the hell was happening, they were racing through the forest again, going even faster than earlier.

'_Temari…please be alright…_'

Gaara squeezed her comfortingly, but it was the most he could do. He wasn't too worried since he had seen his sister fight before, but never against 30 demons at once. Kankuro was the worst the fighter out of all three of them so it was no surprise that he had taken a pretty harsh beating. Like Sakura, he could only hope that Temari was ok.

"Just a word of warning, the house was taking a huge beating when I left. I'll bet a hundred bucks that it's on fire when we get there," Kankuro cautioned from beside them.

"That's not funny Kankuro. That's our home," Gaara hissed, not wanting to think of their house in that condition.

It had taken forever to get away from their father. He wasn't too willing to let his children go so easily. He had put up a good fight and even when they managed to escape, their father had made it impossible for them to buy any house throughout the country. To put it simply, he was a very rich man. The trio had been living out their lives on the run, making camp wherever they could. It was a miracle when they stumbled upon the mansion.

The house had been completely empty and in pretty bad shape, but obviously their father knew nothing about it and it soon became their permanent home. It's going to be a dick and a half to find a new place to live. Definitely not something Gaara was looking forward too.

"I know, I don't want to think about it either," Kankuro replied, frowning at the thought.

For Sakura all of this was hard to take in. Before them, she had never known that vampires existed. Now she thought that vampires were the top of the food chain. She didn't think there were any other types of creatures out there as well. It was frightening and she was worried that these demons were foes even vampires couldn't fight.

Suddenly, Gaara's arms stiffened around her making her worry, "Gaara?"

"…Blood…"

Her own ran cold at the sound of his voice. His voice had taken a new tone, a very frightening one. Obviously this entire situation wasn't pleasing him in the slightest.

Kankuro growled then roared, "Temari!"

Before Sakura even had time to look over at him, he was gone, happening run far ahead of them to get to his sister.

Gaara slowed quickly before coming to a complete stop. Setting Sakura on her feet, she glanced around and saw a haunting glow in the distance. _'Fire…'_ she thought, her fingers grasping her shirt in fear.

"Sakura I need you to stay here," Gaara began, taking her face gently between his hands.

Sakura tried to shake her head but Gaara was far too strong, "No! I can't stand around while you all are fighting and getting hurt!"

"I can't have you getting hurt either! You more fragile than the rest of us. You will die if you go out there!"

"I won't die! I'm not as weak as you think!" she hissed, glaring at him.

"Against demons? Sakura, demons are vampires' greatest enemies. Even we have trouble fighting them," he explained, not wanting to argue with her on this.

Sakura closed her eyes as unwanted tears began to appear, "I can't let you go alone…"

Suddenly she was engulfed by two strong arms and pulled tightly against a very familiar chest. Wrapping her arms tightly around Gaara's neck, she buried her face into the crook of his neck and cried as silently as she could.

"Sakura please…do this for me. Stay here, be safe. I can't let you follow me into that fight. I can't lose you…I can't lose you dammit!" His hands grasped her form tighter at his words making her whimper.

Incapable of speech, she thought, _'Gaara…!'_

With one last squeeze, he pulled back and held her at arms' length. As much as he wanted to pour his heart out to her, now was not the time. He couldn't say goodbye to her either. He didn't want to think that this might be the last time he'd ever see her, ever hold her in his arms.

With a growl he captured her lips in a fierce, consuming kiss, willing her to understand the feelings he couldn't say out loud. Whether she understood or not, he couldn't tell but she met his passion with her own, evenly. _'Is this really the last time my lips will touch hers?'_ He didn't want to know the answer to that. He just wanted to make this moment last forever.

His kissed her until she was desperate for air. Pulling back, she panted feverishly, though her eyes never left his stare. This was the girl he needed, the one he desperately wanted to keep alive and by his side. She was his, whether she realized this or not.

"I have to go Sakura. Promise me you'll stay here?"

Sakura forced back her tears, "I promise. I won't move."

"…Thank you…" he whispered breathlessly, before placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Go save Temari and Kankuro. Keep them both alive," she urged.

Gaara nodded, "I'll bring them back to you."

Sakura smiled, "Thank you."

It was hard but Gaara took one last, long look at her before he stepped back and turned to run for the house.

"One last thing!"

Gaara spun back around, "Yes?"

Sakura stared at him for a moment before she smirked, "You better not die on me, Gaara. I'm not done with you yet."

He couldn't hold it back. He smiled, a real full smile, "I won't, I promise."

"Good, now get out of here!"

With a confident nod, he turned and raced into the forest, leaving Sakura to wait anxiously for his return.

* * *

Gaara froze at the sight of his house on fire. It was horrible! There were flames leaping out of almost every window on the first floor. His beautiful home was going to burn to the ground and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

There were quite a few demons standing around the door, as if they had been expecting him. He smirked wickedly at the sight of the slain demons that littered the ground at their feet. They were weak demons, most likely newborns. Demons aren't like humans or vampires and age much differently. They're born, like humans, but don't age. They transform every 20 years into stronger and older demons. The usually stop aging around mid-30's in human years.

The stages were simple: babies, children, newborns, adult, elite, and ancient. Demons didn't receive their powers until they reached the newborn stage, hence the name. These newborns were unstable and weak, easy pickings for a vampire.

By the time they finally noticed Gaara's presence, it was too late. The angered vampire tore through them like they were nothing, slicing them in half as he raced around in a blur. Normally he was pretty strong, but when he was pissed he was unstoppable.

"Gaara!"

Gaara finished off the last demon outside then raced into the house after hearing his brother's cry. "Kankuro!"

"Well, well, well…so our last guest finally arrives…"

A new demon had appeared behind him, standing the doorway he had just entered and he hadn't even been able to sense it. _'How the hell-?'_

"Fear not young blood. We aren't here to kill you," the demon explained, calmly walking past him without a shred of fear.

"Who…who are you?!" Gaara demanded, glaring fiercely at the red-haired demon.

"The name's Sasori. I am a demon, obviously, a part of a demon gang known as the Akatsuki. Ever hear of us?"

He hadn't. He had never spoken to a demon before.

"What is it your after?" he asked, calming down slightly.

"Not long ago we dropped a human off in a place not too far from here. We had only been messing around at the time, finding some humor in picking on feisty human girls. Recently, we found out some interesting information on that girl we misplaced, and we would like to have her back. We searched that silly Amish village but found it utterly torn to shreds but thankfully her body was nowhere to be found. However, your stinking scent of everywhere. Now I will ask only once, where is that girl?"

This was a lot to take in. _'They're after…Sakura?'_

"What do you want with her?!" he growled, crouching down defensively.

"The female demons in our race have died out. There are absolutely none left so if the rest of us happen to die somehow, there will no longer be demons in existence. Sad, isn't it? Well legend has it that one certain human has the blood and power to bear a demon child. We need that girl, and we need her now. That woman is in your care and we would like it very much if we had her back," Sasori explained, his eyes flashing menacingly.

"What makes you think she's here now?" Gaara questioned.

"Well we don't have absolute proof but it's a chance we were willing to take."

"Sasori…"

Again, another demon appeared without Gaara noticing. His fists clenched at his own weakness.

This new demon had long blonde hair and a weird looking scope on his eye.

"Yes Deidara?" Sasori questioned.

"The place is empty, yeah. Her scent is fresh and all over the place but she's not here."

Sasori stiffened for a moment before he glanced back at Gaara, "Where is she?"

Gaara sniffed, "She's a human, her blood calls out to us."

Deidara froze, "You mean you-"

"You wouldn't. She's not your type, even I know that," Sasori murmured.

"Human is my type. If you don't believe me," Gaara sliced his arm making blood appear out of the wound, "take a whiff."

Deidara didn't move, knowing full well the affects vampire blood had on demons. Their blood was poisonous for demons, just as demon blood was poisonous to vampires. Neither could touch the other blood without burning and crying out in pain. It was the one major cause of death between the two creatures.

Sasori wasn't afraid, for he strode forward calmly and grasped Gaara's arm and lifted the wound to his nose. He was overly familiar with the girl's scent by now and would easily be able to detect the scent of it if it was indeed, in his system.

Suddenly he froze and closed his eyes, breathing in the blood more deeply. "It seems we have made a mistake…"

"What?!" Deidara cried, angered that he had wasted his time on a fruitless mission.

"Vampire, what you say is true. You have tasted her blood but that is all. There isn't enough of her blood in your veins to prove that you've killed her. She's alive somewhere, but you've probably got her hidden somewhere in the forest, somewhere where we may not find her," Sasori murmured, releasing his arm.

He walked back to the doorway then paused, "Deidara gather up the others. Leave the newborns to do as they please but bring the adults with you."

Deidara growled but nodded, "Fine, yeah."

Sasori nodded then vanished into thin air leaving Gaara alone with the girly-looking vampire.

Deidara met his glare for a moment before he hmphed then walked calmly out of the house in search of his fellow demons.

Once he had disappeared from sight, Gaara raced the burning staircase in search of his siblings. Their blood was fresh and easy to track. It led right to Sakura's room, most likely the place where most of the fighting had taken place.

"Temari? Kankuro?" Gaara called as he entered the dark room.

"In the bathroom," Kankuro called back.

Gaara entered the bathroom only to freeze at the sight before him. Temari was lying across the counter with her eyes closed in pain. There was blood all over the place, pouring out of every wound on her body. It was a terrible sight to witness, even for a vampire. Kankuro was standing over her, trying to clean up as many wounds as he could.

"Are you both alright?" Gaara asked, moving closer.

"We'll live," Temari bit out, her eyes staying closed.

Kankuro snorted, "You won't live if you keep talking, cause I'll be the one to kill ya."

"Try it I dare you," she hissed, one eye opening slightly to stare at him.

"Knock it off guys, you can tease each other later," Gaara scolded, shaking his head in disgust.

Temari sighed then closed her eye again. "Fine. Where's Sakura?"

"Safe."

"Good answer, but how do you know?" Kankuro questioned.

Gaara stiffened, "I don't really but I left her far enough away from here that she wouldn't be found."

"You better hope so. These guys were thorough."

"Go find her Gaara. She isn't safe until she's with you," Temari ordered.

Gaara wanted too; every bone in his body was crying out for him to go get her. But he couldn't leave his family either, not with those demons around.

"Go dammit!" Temari shouted, her eyes flashing open to glare at her brother.

He hesitated for a moment then nodded, "Alright, stay safe."

"We'll be fine. Go get her, tiger," Kankuro replied with a wink.

Gaara smirked then raced back downstairs, frowning as the flames spread throughout the house. He didn't have much time. He had to find Sakura then get back to his siblings before the house burnt down. He would make it though, he had too.

With a growl he raced out of the burning doorway and into the forest to find the part of him he had left behind: His heart.

**(Ta-da! Chapter Thirteen is finished! Now onto chapter 14! Next one should be easy to write too so I'll have that one up in no time! Thanks for sticking with me people! I love the support! I'll keep updating, just for you lovely readers and reviewers! I love all my reviewers! You're all so wonderful!! Thank you!!)**


	15. Chapter 14, Betrayal

**(Hey everyone! Sorry for the major wait . I was in Spain and Paris for a month so I didn't have a chance to upload this chapter until now. Its been done for awhile tho... Anywho, I'm really sorry for the delay. I've gotten many comments from you all asking me to update and I hear you all loud and clear, I'm just not writing as much as I used too. I will never give up on this story but it might take awhile before I update, chapter after chapter. Again, I apologize everyone. I hope you'll enjoy thischapter anyways.)**

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**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Fourteen: Betrayal_**

Sakura yawned and she leaned back against the nearest tree. It hadn't been very long, maybe a little over 30 minutes, but still it seemed like forever. The fire from the burning house was much bigger now and more vivid, even through all the trees. She wasn't scared or worried for herself. She didn't know much about demons but she figured if they found her they'd eat her or something. Still not scary though.

It was Gaara, only Gaara she worried about now. He was fighting them, probably getting hurt or worse, though Sakura didn't want to think about that. Gaara was strong but would he still be strong against 30 demons? Most likely not.

"Gaara…" she sighed, and closed her eyes, mentally wishing he'd hurry back to her.

A huge part of her kept telling her to go after him but the smarter part of her kept telling her to obey Gaara's orders and stay put. It was hard but he had been right, she only would've gotten in the way. No way could a human fight a vampires' battle. Just wasn't possible.

Suddenly a strange scent filled her senses making her tense and open her eyes. Her pink hair would stick out even in the darkness and she knew someone would see her if they were nearby. That was when she heard it, the faint sound of a footstep nearby, far too close for her liking. It couldn't be Gaara, for if it were, he would've already rushed to her by now.

"What are we sitting here for?"

Sakura gasped at the unfamiliar voice and turned her head to see a very attractive guy. He had black hair and coal black eyes. He was dressed in black but head a red cloud etched onto the shoulder of the shirt. He smelt strange but not in a bad way. It was the same scent as before.

"W-who are you?" she stuttered, placing a hand to her racing heart.

"Me? I'm no one special. You on the other hand, are very special," the boy replied, smirking at her.

"Um, are you one of Gaara's friends?"

"Gaara? Oh the red-haired vampire! Grouchy little brat, that one is… Actually no, but I do know him fairly well. We go back quite a long time, before you were even born," the boy explained with a casual shrug.

"So you're not his friend but you've know him for so long…Oh! You're a-"

"Demon? Very good. You may call me Sasuke though, instead of demon. I've gotten quite used to my birth name," Sasuke explained, smirking a bit.

"Sasuke? What are demons doing in a place like this?" Sakura questioned, glancing around.

"We've been looking everywhere for you," Sasuke answered.

Her eyes widened a bit before a confused look crossed her features, "Me? Why me?"

"Because we need you, a tainted human who has the blood and power to give birth to demon children. Our line is dying out and you're our last hope."

"Wait, how can I be your only hope? Surely there are other girls out there that can do it too? And how do you know if I can really give birth to a demon? I've never tried it…" Sakura questioned.

"Hm, true enough. Shall we try now?" Sasuke murmured, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her closer to him.

Sakura squirmed out of his arm and jumped to her feet and glared down at him, "You've got some nerve! Gaara is the only one I care about. I won't become some demon whore!"

With a final glare she stomped off into the woods, muttering faint curses at the bemused demon.

Sasuke had made a big mistake the first time he met this girl. The Akatsuki had only been fooling around but their fun and games caused them to lose the girl they needed the most. Sasori, Itachi, and Sasuke, were the three who actually kidnapped her and left her for dead in the woods. It was bad but losing her was worse. If they didn't return with her, Pein would kill them for failing. It wasn't a risk Sasuke was willing to take.

But her words confused him. Why would a human care for a vampire? Vampires killed humans all the time. They were just as evil as demons and deserved to be hated just as much. So why did this girl care for Gaara so much? A lot of women would eagerly become an Akatsuki whore, just so they could sleep with a bunch of hot guys. If this girl were more like that there wouldn't be any problems.

Sasuke stared into the dark forest and thought about his options. He could take her by force but then Gaara would come after them. He could erase her memories of Gaara and somehow make it seem that they were lovers, but he wasn't very good with memory loss stuff yet and didn't want to risk losing her entire memory, even the basic skills of eating, walking, or even her own name. His last option was a very good one. As a demon, he could change shapes and become anyone he wanted to be. If he transformed into someone familiar to her, he could trick her into coming with him…

Sasuke smirked as the plan formed in his mind. This would work perfectly and when Gaara saw her leave willingly, he wouldn't chase after them. It was foolproof. Running a hand through his black hair, he focused on the person he wanted to become. Shifting forms was as easy as breathing but shifting back caused major fatigue. He didn't care about that right now and only worried about the transforming part. His body shimmered and warped into a new body. This body was going to prove to be very useful…

Sasuke glanced down at his new form and smirked. It was a perfect transformation. Satisfied, he ran after the pretty pink-haired human, eager to trick and kidnap this girl all over again.

* * *

Sakura walked further and further away from the mansion. In her attempts to escape from that Sasuke person she had wandered far away from the mansion. The fire was now a very faint glow in the trees. As happy as she was to be away from that demon, she had also disobeyed Gaara when he told her not to move. She didn't want him to be angry with her but she kind of knew he would be.

How would he find her now? She had left the place he had instructed her not to move from and that was where he would return too first. She wanted to be there ready and waiting for him. But that demon might still be there and she didn't want to risk running into him again. Next time he might actually kidnap her and fighting against a human man is hard enough, but a demon? Yeah, she didn't stand a chance.

"Sakura!"

Sakura spun around at the sound of her name. It was distant and desperate. "Gaara…" she murmured.

The voice came from the direction in which she had come. It was far enough away for her to realize that Gaara had just reached her hiding spot and had found her missing.

_'Poor guy, he must think I'm dead or something…'_ she thought sadly, beginning to walk back to him.

"There you are!"

Sakura spun around again only to find herself staring at a very familiar face, "Gaara!"

Gaara smirked and held his arms out to her, "Sakura, you're alive…"

She smiled and ran into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I'm so glad you found me Gaara. I thought that if I left that hiding place you wouldn't find me," she whispered.

"You really think I don't know your scent? You're very easy to track, actually."

"I'm glad… but wait, I heard you call for me from way back there, so how did you get here and behind me so quickly?" Sakura questioned, confused now.

"I can run really fast, remember? It's not hard for a vampire to do," he replied easily.

Sakura nodded, "Well that's true. I'm just glad you're back Gaara. How are Temari and Kankuro?"

"The other two? Oh yeah! Uh well Temari took quite a beating but Kankuro stayed behind to help her out. They're vampires so their wounds will heal quickly. The demons weren't here to kill us, thankfully."

"Thank god…I was so worried…" Sakura breathed.

Gaara nodded, "I know, but I'm here now, so no worries, ok? I'm still alive and the others will be fine. Unfortunately, our house is being barbequed so we can't return there."

"Then where will we go?"

"I know off a place far off from here. It'll take a few days to get there but you can sleep in my arms, if you'd like," Gaara explained.

Sakura smiled, "I don't mind. But what about Temari and Kankuro? Do they know to go there?"

"Of course they do. They'll meet up with us as soon as they're both fit to travel again," he replied easily.

"Wait, if the house burned down, then where will they hide when the sun comes up?" she questioned, her eyes growing wide in silent terror.

Gaara inwardly groaned but quickly flashed her a grin, "They're smart enough to find a cave or something. We're not totally alone out here. Maybe there's a cottage or something somewhere."

"I don't know…I'm worried Gaara…"

_'Oh for crying out loud-!'_ "Relax Sakura, let's just get you to our new hideout. Besides, think positively, if we make it there first we'll have the place to ourselves…" Gaara murmured, leaning down to kiss at her neck.

Sakura giggled, "Oh fine! I'm sorry, I've just been so worried and I guess I'm just really relieved to have you back. Thank you for returning to me, Gaara."

He smiled, "I'll always return for you. Now let's go."

She nodded then let him scoop her up in his arms and hold her tightly against his chest. "I'm ready," she breathed.

"Good, hold on tight!" he murmured before he dashed off into the trees, making her let out a squeal of surprise as she clung onto his neck.

_'He's back! He came for me! We're together again, I'm finally safe and happy, for good this time,'_ she thought with a smile before she nuzzled into his chest and drifted off into a light slumber.

* * *

Gaara froze when a familiar nasty scent contaminated his senses. "Demon," he spat.

He had just reached the spot where Sakura was supposed to be hidden only to find it empty and her scent leading away from here and from the house. There wasn't just her scent in the clearing either, there was another scent mixed with her's, the scent of a demon.

Gaara had every right to worry, but for once he wasn't worried, just pissed. If a demon did find her there was no telling what he would do. If it was a newborn she'd probably be killed right on sight. If it were an adult then they'd probably kidnap her for that Sasori guy. Either way he would lose her and that wasn't something he wanted to think about. He had left her behind to keep her safe, not to get her kidnapped. If she was indeed gone, he'd stop at nothing to bring her back.

But he'd worry about the consequences later. Right now he had to track down her scent and find this demon. It was simple enough. Her scent was thick and fresh and she wasn't moving very fast. In fact, she hadn't gone that far at all! Gaara leapt into the trees and moved from tree to tree to gain a higher viewing point. If worse came to worst then he wanted to be able to surprise his enemy.

Suddenly he stiffened then crouched low on the branch and gazed down at the forest floor. Sakura's scent was extremely strong here, almost as if she were standing right next to him. He was close. She wasn't right next to him but right below him, only she wasn't alone.

He stare hardened into a hateful glare as he gazed down at the demon. He couldn't see the person's face but this demon had red-hair as well. He had his arms around Sakura and amazingly, she didn't look scared! She looked happy, content even!

_'Why isn't she struggling or trying to get away from him? Why is she staying in his arms?' _Gaara wondered, frowning deeply.

"I'll always return for you. Now let's go!" the demon spoke from below.

Gaara watched in horror as she let him take her into his arms and lift her up in a bridal fashion, as he had done. To make things worse he heard her breathe, "I'm ready."

"Good, now hold on tight!" the demon spoke before they disappeared into the trees, running at a speed that could've easily been matched by Gaara.

But Gaara didn't move, he couldn't. He was hurt, torn between wanting to go after her and take her back from that demon and wanting to hate her for hurting him this way._ 'Why would she go with him willingly? Why wouldn't she wait for me? Did she know him?' _he wondered, confused and bewildered.

That was when he heard her thoughts, faint and drifting further away from him:_ 'He's back! He came for me! We're together again, I'm finally safe and happy, for good this time.'_

"No!" he roared, punching the trunk of the tree over and over again until it cracked under the brute beating and crashed to the ground below.

"Why Sakura? Why?! Why would you do this to me?! Why would you betray me?!" he cried, falling from the tree to crash on the ground below, landing in a sprawled careless form. He was crushed, heartbroken, in unbelievable pain, and he didn't know how to stop it. All he could think of was Sakura and wonder how this could've happened.

Why would she choose to leave him? He didn't know the answer and he wasn't about to find out. If she wanted to leave him willingly, then he wouldn't follow. She didn't really belong to him, at least not physically, but he thought she'd at least realize that she was safe with him, and would belong to no one else. So how could she have slipped through his fingers? How could she just up and leave him? This wasn't the Sakura he was used too and suddenly he missed her more than ever. But she was gone, and she might never come back. He was alone, again, and maybe for good this time…

**(Ok, all done. Now before anyone says anything, I know that Gaara is very OC at the end. The real Gaara would probably not be as affected by betrayal as this Gaara, hell he's probably used to it! But my Gaara is sad and emotional right now. He's just acting like any normal, heart broken guy, right? Seriously, how many boys have you seen punch through a tree trunk when they're upset? Its fairly common =P But anyways, I've only just started the next chapter so there's no telling when I'll be done. I'll try and work on it Friday and who know, maybe I'll finish it. Either way, I hope you all will stick around. I'm not going anywhere and neither is my story. Thanks again readers!!! And thank you to all my reviewers!!! Its because of you guys, that I'm even updating at all anymore. So thank you!!!!)**


	16. Chapter 15, Alone

**(What's up people?! Ok, I actually wrote this whole chapter in school today because my teachers kept letting me get out of class to go to the computer room =P I had to lie a few times but its ok, it gave me something to do. So, since I'm skipping prom this year, I'm gonna just keep writing new chapters! Whoo! Sorry, I'm excited too^^. So thanks to my devoted readers and reviewers, I have completed this chapter much faster than my previous ones and have started the next one! So here it is, chapter 15!)**

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**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Fifteen: Alone_**

The castle that rose from the darkness was nearly as black as the night itself. There was a haunting aura that surrounded the place and Sakura couldn't suppress the shiver that flowed through her body.

"Relax, we're home now," Gaara muttered, glancing down at her for a moment.

Sakura stared up at him, "This is your home?"

"One of many, actually," he replied with a shrug.

She hadn't known this. Gaara had always made it sound like that one mansion was their only home. Why hadn't he told her this before? What did he have to gain from keeping this from her?

"I don't know about this Gaara, something doesn't feel right," Sakura whispered, huddling closer to him.

Gaara rolled his eyes, "You humans feel just about everything, don't you? Just relax or sleep or something."

Sakura gazed up at him, a little surprised by his words. After that night together, he hadn't made any snippy or mean comments at all. He didn't mention humans much anymore, or how weak or useless they were. It was a little sad to think that he was going back to his old ways. Was there no way to change him?

Her thoughts wandered back to the castle. They were much closer now and it looked much scarier. It was purely made out of black cobble stones and mortar. The windows were stained black glass and the door was painted black. She really had no idea that Gaara loved the color black so much. The windows made a lot of sense though, since they were vampires and all.

"Well done boy," an unfamiliar voice murmured from the darkness.

Sakura stiffened as a black mist rose out of the ground before them. It swirled rapidly for a moment then disappeared, leaving a man standing in its place. The man had red hair and wore a black cloak with red clouds all over it. It was faintly familiar…

Gaara froze in place and let a smug smirk cross his lips. "Thank you Sasori," he murmured.

The man, Sasori, nodded his head and held out his arms, "Give me the girl. Your job is done."

"What? Gaara, what is he talking about?" Sakura questioned, very confused now.

Gaara shook his head and glared at Sasori, ignoring Sakura completely, "I'm not done with her."

Sasori's eyes narrowed, "You are done when I say you're done."

There are certain things that should never be said to certain people. This was one of those things. He _hated_ to be told what to do or not do. He didn't take orders lightly and definitely did so reluctantly. It made him angry, furious to be told what to do. He liked being the leader, never the follower. He wanted to make orders, not take them.

Sakura shivered at the dark look that glazed over Gaara's eyes. He looked murderous, vicious, and very, very, deadly. This definitely wasn't her Gaara. Who ever this guy was, it just wasn't him.

Gaara slowly set Sakura on her feet then stepped in front of her. "Then take her from me," he growled.

Sasori's eyes narrowed very slowly then, before Sakura could even blink, Gaara was on his knees with a new guy standing over him with a foot on his back.

"Damn fool. Talking that way to Sasori is just plain stupid, un," the man muttered, glaring down at him.

This guy had long blonde hair that hid one of his eyes. He wore a cloak that matched Sasori's perfectly, which only made Sakura that much more confused. Just who were these people?

"G-get off me!" Gaara roared.

"Oh shut up. While you're down there you might as well transform back. The gig is up, un," the man retorted.

With a gasp, Sakura watched as Gaara began to glow a faint reddish color. It clouded over his entire form leaving nothing but a red blur. The blur shimmered and shook violently for a moment then shot apart in every direction, causing her to shield her eyes. It had seemed only like light but it had to be something more. The light stun and burned, like airborne fire.

Finally, she recovered from the sudden outburst and gazed down at the man who had been her lover just a few moments before. Where he had gone, she didn't know, but right now the man on his knees wasn't Gaara, but that sneaky demon Sasuke.

"You're that demon!" she cried in outrage and surprise.

Sasuke spat and clawed at the ground, "Of course I am! You're a fool to not have seen it before. The real Gaara was right there with us the whole time and you didn't even notice. Some soul mate you are."

Her eyes widened in shock and horror at his words. _'Gaara was…there? Did he see me leave? But if he did why isn't he here now rescuing me? Could he be angry? I don't understand. How could I have not seen the lie? Why did I think he was Gaara?'_

"Don't look so shocked, my dear. We demons are very talented when it comes to transformations. We can take on any shape we please, even other people. It's very simple to do but changing back can be most tiring. It's really not your fault that you couldn't tell the difference. You're only human after all," Sasori explained, walking up to her.

Sakura couldn't speak. She didn't know what to say anymore. She had been tricked, kidnapped, and might even be killed. But more than anything, she was worried about Gaara. If he had seen everything then he was hurting way more than she could possibly imagine.

She didn't move when Sasori knelt down in front of her and gazed deeply into her eyes. She didn't look away or blink when his eyes turned pitch black, or when a tiny red dot appeared in the center. The dot caught her complete attention. It was so small and so out of place. She could only follow it with her eyes as it swirled and spun around in his eyes. It was only a moment more before the dot disappeared and her world went black.

* * *

Temari winced as her wounds closed slowly and painfully. She had been in brutal condition but she was recovering rapidly now. It was times like these that made her glad she was a vampire. But there were some wounds that couldn't be healed. They were permanent, deep, and eternal. The wounds Gaara was feeling right now was more than she could even bear to witness.

When he had finally found them in one of the cave caverns that lined the interior of a nearby mountain, he was in the worst condition she had ever seen. She had never seen him look so sad, so defeated, and so utterly…lost. This wasn't her baby brother. The Gaara she knew could handle anything, no matter what it was. But this was something none of them had experienced before: betrayal.

When he came into the cave, he only said three words, "She left me."

Those words were all they needed to hear to know that Sakura was gone, and by her own free will. What happened, Temari and Kankuro didn't know. Gaara wasn't in any mood to talk and probably wouldn't be anytime soon. He just walked further into the cave and lay down on the ground. He hadn't moved a muscle since.

Even Kankuro was freaked out by his behavior. Kankuro could make a joke out of anything, but even he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. He looked a little lost himself. He hadn't said much and simply sat nearest to the cave entrance as a guardian. He was the only one ready to fight if needed. Temari would if she had too but Gaara didn't look like he was moving in the near future.

The trio had taken the biggest blow in their entire life. Not only did they lose their house but also their newest friend and Gaara's love. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he loved her. It was obvious to the two siblings. Extremely obvious. He was terrible at hiding his feelings whenever he was around Sakura. But when she left, she had taken more with her than she probably realized at the time. She had taken his heart, his soul with her as well, and they might never get it back.

They couldn't go forever seeing him this way. Gaara had always been a rude little brat who cared for no one. But things have changed, a lot! Gaara cared, more than cared, for someone other than himself. It's not fair that that person just happened to walk out of his life for reasons none of them could understand. Just what in the world made her want to leave?

"Its gonna rain," Kankuro murmured.

Temari grunted, "A great end to a fantastic day."

"No kidding. It just has to rain _after_ the fire, huh?"

This time she didn't reply. It was a tender subject, still fresh on all of their minds. Even Gaara seemed to stiffen. That was their home, their lives. Losing that meant they had lost everything. But even though it was burnt to the ground, it was possible to rebuild it, maybe. When the sun set, Temari and Kankuro would go check it out and see if it was even possible to rebuild. If it wasn't, then they'd have to figure something else out. Building a house out of nothing would be hard, but not impossible.

"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger…" Temari whispered.

"The worst phrase I've ever heard," Kankuro remarked.

"But it's the truth, in a way. At least, it will be…I hope," she murmured, gazing over at Gaara.

Kankuro didn't reply. He just stared at his little brother too. Both knew they couldn't do anything to help him. The feeling of helplessness was unbearable. Knowing they could do absolutely nothing to help him was tearing them up and yet, they had to deal with it. There was nothing they could do for him right now. Not until he told them what had happened.

A clap of thunder rattled the entire cave, causing a few rocks to fall from the ceiling. The cave was old and had been unused for years. It was no surprise that pieces would fall just from something as simple as thunder. And yet, Temari couldn't help but growl as her already messy hair getting filled with falling gravel and dust.

Kankuro didn't look any happier, but at least he didn't allow his anger to show. He seemed more depressed than angry, anyways. He just stared out of the cave at the faint glow of daylight and listened to the rain. He had always been the expressive one. He could talk to anyone about anything. He vocalized everything he was feeling at any time or place. But suddenly, he just didn't feel like doing that. As depressed as he was, he wouldn't be forever. This was momentary, as was Temari's anger. It was Gaara's pain that may be everlasting.

But for the two older siblings, this wasn't the end. So maybe everything had been lost. Maybe they were back at the beginning, alone, homeless…lost. It didn't really mean the end to them. Today they'd be angry or depressed but they'd be back on their feet tomorrow. They had managed to find a home before and they'd do it again, with or without Gaara.

**(There you go everyone, chapter 15 is done! Now for chapter sixteen ;) The next chapter is gonna be fun for me to write. I'm thinking some torture, in more ways than one. For Gaara and Sakura both. It'll mostly focus around Sakura and getting some answers for her and from her. I might even throw in some "M" rated action from Sasuke or Sasori, maybe even Itachi. I don't know but whoever it is, it'll be completely unwanted by Sakura, ok? Think of it as rape but without the sex. No matter happens in chapter 16, remember that this is strictly a GaaxSaku story, so no slight one-shots anywhere in the story, at least not with this couple. With all that being said, I thank you all again for reading and reviewing! Please keep checking in and I promise I'll update very soon! Thank you everyone!!!)**


	17. Chapter 16, Mixed Feelings

**(Ok, before you all get started reading and then get mad at me, I'll openly admit that there is no "M" rated stuff in this chapter or the next one. I'm pretty sure I'll put that stuff in chapter eighteen but I've only just started that chapter. Either way, it'll be soon. Sorry everyone. I would've put it right away but it feels too soon, you know? Well anyways, here's chapter 16. Enjoy!)**

* * *

**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Sixteen: Mixed Feelings_**

Sakura's eyes narrowed as the thick, black painted, wooden door opened with a creak. The tiny flicker of candlelight was the only indication that there was someone in the hallway. These people didn't have shadows, and moved so quietly she couldn't hear them or sense them until they were upon her. It was rather frightening and she probably would never get used to it.

She had only been unconscious for a few hours before she had awoke in a tiny, cell-like room. The room was completely enclosed with only a tiny window in the door. They weren't taking any chances with her, apparently, since she was chained to the opposite wall. Her wrists were bound and her feet were chained to the floor. Her one relief was that she wasn't dangling by her arms.

The room held one candle in the corner and chair. The chair had been pulled close to her and looked as if someone had been sitting in it. No one had since she'd been awake but she knew someone was there recently. Her fear subsided for a while but always came back whenever a figure would pass by her door. Sometimes the person would even peer inside her room and stare at her. The faint glow of eyes always made her shiver.

She hadn't gotten any answers yet. She didn't want to yell or attract any attention to herself, and yet she wanted to know what was going on. Why had she been kidnapped? Why was she so important? It didn't make any sense to her at all. She was only human after all…

"Comfortable yet?" a familiar voice questioned as the person entered her room and shut the door behind them.

Sakura didn't answer. She only glared at the familiar red haired demon.

Sasori smirked slightly, "Now, now my dear, this had to be done. We couldn't have you running away again anytime soon. You're needed."

"Needed how?" she snapped.

His smirk widened slightly before he moved further into the room, walking closer to her. "Everything will be explained to you in time. For now, you must explain a few things to me. Tell me…why did you go willingly with Sasuke when he was disguised as that vampire boy, Gaara?" he asked, seating himself in the chair beside her.

"An answer for an answer or none at all," she hissed, deciding not to play by their rules anymore.

Sasori chuckled, "My aren't we courageous? Alright, ask one thing."

"Why am I here?" she asked eagerly.

"An answer for an answer. I asked my question first so I get my answer first. I'll leave you waiting for that one," he replied with a smirk.

Sakura growled in annoyance. _'He's enjoying himself!' _"You wanna know why I'd go with Gaara willingly? That's easy, I'm attracted to him in more ways than one. In fact, I'd do just about anything to be with him, even give him my blood and body," she explained easily.

Sasori stared at her, unblinking and unmoving. He seemed to be contemplating something, but whatever it was, it made her slightly uneasy. He was so emotionless and his face and body revealed nothing to her. He just seemed so…out of it.

"You'd give yourself up to a vampire?" he asked finally.

"Of course. For him, I'd do anything," she repeated.

He studied her again, "How odd… Humans usually fear creatures that are higher on the food chain than them. Smart humans stay away from creatures such as demons and vampires. Yet you are rather foolish and choose to be with one. Hasn't it ever crossed your mind that he might kill you one day? Accidentally or not?"

Sakura hesitated for a second then nodded slowly, "Yes it has but its not enough to keep me away from him."

"Such a foolish human girl you are. But you're an interesting one as well. Your courage will be extremely needed in this place. Fear and weakness is never tolerated in a demon's lair."

She shivered a bit at his words then shook her head, "You can't honestly expect me not to be scared here."

"No, no one can expect that of you. You're a human and humans fear dangerous creatures by nature. You're normal in that sense, anyway," he explained.

"Well whether I'm normal or not is no concern of mine. Now tell me why I'm here," she demanded, wanting her answer now more than ever.

Sasori leaned forward a bit then nodded, "Alright. You're here because you're our only hope, our last chance."

Sakura waited for more but he was done. "Uh, care to explain?" she probed.

"Hm… fine. Demons are very rare creatures. We used to be many but now we are few. The females in our race have all died within the past year. Females are weaker in most races but in our race, it's deadly. Females are born so weak that they don't live for long and some simple wounds, like a limb torn off or something, can kill them.

"Because they're so weak and die so easily, its no surprise that they've all passed on. Either way, now we're all that's left of the race. There are only about 15 of us left and we're all males. It's because of this little fact that we've begun to worry. Our race might die out because we have no females left. At least, that was the cause of worry, until now," he explained, in detail.

"Why until now?" she questioned.

Sasori smirked slyly, "Legend has it that a special human will appear in the demons' view when the last demonic female has died. At the time we had no idea what we were looking for. Legend said that it would be an odd looking female but that was it. We had no clues, nothing to go by. So when we found you a while ago, we had no idea who you were. Instead we left you to die in the wilderness. Think of our surprise when we found out later that evening that our last female had passed on while we were away! Never before had we seen a human with pink hair. You were as special as a human can get and we let you get away."

Sakura could only stare at him in utter shock. "Y-you're lying…"

"I don't lie. Why waste the effort on a human, of all things?" he murmured.

"But…that gang was called Akatsuki and-"

Sasori chuckled, "My dear, that's what we call ourselves. The Akatsuki."

She couldn't believe it. How could it possibly be true? The gang that had left her for dead had kidnapped her once again! But why they did it this time, she wasn't sure…yet.

"Why?"

"Hm? Why what?" he asked.

"Why me? What am I to you?" she questioned softly.

He stared at her, hard. His eyes soon shown with hidden lust and desire. The sudden feelings made her shudder against her bindings. "What are you? Oh my dear, you are the ultimate prize. You are the only human in existence that can give birth to a demon child."

* * *

Temari crept slowly and cautiously to the very edge of the cave. The sun was nearly gone now. A very faint ray of light shone from beyond the trees but at this distance it wasn't enough to cause her any permanent harm if she stumbled upon it.

"We're good," she hollered back into the cave.

Kankuro was beside her in an instant.

"What did you tell Gaara?" she questioned.

"I told him that we're going to check on our house," he replied with a shrug.

"And he didn't respond…" she added, already knowing that was the answer.

Kankuro simply nodded then crouched down, "So can we go? I could use a good run."

Temari yawned then stretched, "Alright but I'm not gonna race you. I'm not in any condition to race and besides, the sooner we get there and back, the sooner I get to sleep."

He chuckled, "I'll second that."

"Good, then let's get going."

The duo sped off toward their mansion, both of them fearful of what they might find.

* * *

"Give birth? I can have a demon child?" Sakura questioned, not really sure she had heard him right.

Sasori nodded, "That's right. You're the only human capable of doing so."

"But don't demons like grow faster or something? Won't it try to devour its way out of me?" she asked, a little freaked out.

"No, not your body. Your womb has the ability to carry a demon child. You'll be perfectly fine," he explained.

Sakura thought about it for only a moment more than shook her head almost violently. "Wait, no! I don't want to have a demon child! Hell, I don't want to have any children! At least, not yet…" she exclaimed.

Sasori shook his head calmly, "I'm afraid you don't have a choice. As long as you remain in this place, you belong to us. You won't be escaping anytime soon so I'd get comfortable, if I were you. Just enjoy it. You get to sleep with a bunch of good-looking demons, myself included."

"As if I'd want too! And how am I supposed to get comfortable if I'm chained to a stone wall?!" she demanded, shaking her chains.

"This is only temporary. Once we've decided who your first mate will be, then we'll decide where you'll go. Of course you'll be in his bed first then we'll set up a room for you, a permanent residence if you will…" he trailed off suddenly, his mind drawing a blank as an unfamiliar sound caught his attention.

Sakura was crying. She was trying to do it as silently as she could but it wasn't surprising that a demon could hear her. She didn't want to bear demonic children. She didn't want to be here, or have a room to herself in this place. She wanted Gaara. She wanted to be with him and his siblings back in the mansion. She wanted everything to go back to normal. This just wasn't fair. Why her? Why did she have to be so damn special?

"Crying is weakness…" Sasori murmured, standing up suddenly.

She didn't stop. Why should she? She was a human, via weak. She didn't care what he thought of her.

With a sigh, he raised his hand and placed it on her cheek lightly, making her squeeze her eyes shut and shiver almost violently. He took no notice of her reaction and simply wiped away her tears with his thumb. When they were all cleared away, he removed his hand and her eyes opened. Only when they fell on his hand, did he lift his wet fingers to his mouth and lick away her tears, revealing his unnatural tongue in the process.

She shuddered at the horrible sight. Such a grotesque sight it was. His tongue was a dark purple color and it was long! It looked almost like a giraffe's tongue except it was wet with thick, red saliva that looked like blood. It was hideous, and it made her almost start crying all over again. The only thing that kept her from doing so was the fact that he might wipe away her tears and lick them up again. She couldn't gaze upon that tongue again.

"Bitter tears. Tears are always so salty. They're very unpleasant and yet, so oddly refreshing. I've made my decision. Tonight is the night. I'll come for you tonight and it'll be my bed that you reside in. I'll have you bear my child if it's the last thing I ever do," he said, a hidden promise in his words.

His eyes narrowed and roamed her form before he turned and exited the room, leaving her to cry quietly to herself.

* * *

Temari abruptly came to a stop with Kankuro only a few feet behind her. Neither of them could speak nor move. The sight was so…unbelievable!

"Its not gone," Kankuro murmured, a faint smile growing on his lips.

Temari couldn't help but let out a girlish giggle, "It's still standing!"

The mansion was indeed standing. It was burnt and still smoking even after the rain, but it was upright. Pieces littered the ground and a few upper-leveled rooms had collapsed but nothing too big. They were vampires, meaning they were strong and fast. They could repair this in no time. This gave them hope, a lot of hope! After what they had been through the night before, they had thought it would be gone forever. Moving would've been a bitch but now they wouldn't have too.

Last night, they had left the house completely in flames. The future had looked bleak for the house. It didn't stand a chance against the flames and yet, it had. By some strange miracle, their house had survived the fire.

"How is it possible?" Kankuro asked.

"I'm not sure. Didn't it look like it was ready to collapse when we left it?" she wondered out loud.

"Maybe its stronger than we thought," he suggested with a shrug.

Temari smiled, "Oh who cares! We've still got our home! Come on! Let's get rebuilding!"

Kankuro gasped, "What?! Right now?!"

"Of course right now. The sooner we finish the sooner we can move back. I don't want to live in that cave any longer than I have too," she replied before running into the house.

Kankuro couldn't do anything but sigh and follow his headstrong sister inside.

* * *

Back in the cave, alone, Gaara sat with his head in his hands. Now that he was alone he could think a little better. It had been nearly an entire day since Sakura had left. The betrayal was still thick and strong but he wasn't one to let anything affect him too deeply. There was something going on here, something that he couldn't explain. The Sakura he knew would never have left him, not unless she was forced too.

'_Or tricked too…'_ he thought. He had been playing with that thought for a while. If Sakura were tricked into going with that demon then that would explain everything. Of course, the way it looked, looked like she had left completely willingly. That couldn't be possible. As much as he wanted to believe that she had been purely tricked, he was still hurt more than he wanted to admit. The pain still hurt and he couldn't get his mind around her leaving him.

For now, all he could do was think. He wasn't ready to go racing after her just yet. He wouldn't be able to bear it if he did find her and she told him she had left him willing. He wanted answers, but not enough to get hurt again. He wasn't ready for that…yet.

**(And that's the end of the chapter! Next up is chapter seventeen! I already wrote it so I know exactly what its going to be about. As much as I know you all hate Sasuke, I'm gonna make you hate him a little more ;) He's going to have a big part in the next chapter. He's such a good little tormentor! You'll know exactly what I mean after you read chapter seventeen, which isn't up yet but you know :P Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope to get a bunch of reviews again! I really do love reading those :) Thank you everyone!)**

* * *


	18. Chapter 17, Torture

**(Hiya! Ok, here's chapter 17! And I lied, sorry :( This chapter isn't the rape chapter either. I'm thinking of making it the next chapter but I'm not sure. Anyways, this chapter has some slight SasuxSaku. There is definitely NO SasukexSakura pairing in this story its just some action between them so don't get mad! Ok, here you go! Have at it!)**

* * *

**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Seventeen: Torture_**

Sakura tugged weakly at her bindings. She didn't know what time it was and a part of her was scared to find out. Sasori had told her he would come for her tonight. She was scared, more than scared! She didn't want to sleep with a demon! She only wanted Gaara! But no matter what, she knew she wouldn't be able to fight him off if she tried. She didn't know how she'd get out of this mess.

The thought of Sasori brought back that horrifying image. His _tongue_. She didn't want that thing anywhere near her! She couldn't picture him being romantic, or any demon being romantic, but she wouldn't put kissing beyond him. There was a very good possibility that he'd try to kiss her and that meant she'd have to deal with his tongue. That was something she definitely did NOT want to do.

Her options were slim to none. She was the captive. She had no say in what happened to her. If they wanted to impregnate her, then she could do nothing to stop them. She was pretty much doomed.

That was when her door opened. Her heart just about stopped at the creaking sound. _'Please don't be Sasori. Please don't be Sasori. Please don't be Sasori. Please don't be Sasori!' _she mentally begged. As much as she wanted to close her eyes and wish whoever it was away, she was too curious to see whom it was. Holding her breath, she watched with wide eyes as the person moved into her room and closed her door with a key, locking them inside.

"Stupid fool, leaving the key just lying around…" another familiar voice, not Sasori's, murmured.

The person stepped into the candlelight and Sakura couldn't suppress the gasp that escaped her lips.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke smirked at his name, "So you remember now, huh? Maybe you just didn't recognize me before because I was so much uglier?"

Sakura growled, "Gaara is nowhere near as ugly as you are, bastard!"

He waved off her comment and sneered at her, "And yet here you are, chained to a wall, fully accessible, and your darling Gaara is nowhere to be found. Hell, maybe he's dead."

"He's not dead, I know that for a fact," she replied easily, not believing it for a moment. Gaara would never die so easily. He'd keep fighting even if was decapitated.

"Whether he's dead or not doesn't matter to me. You're all I care about at this point. But all I want is to fuck you up and make you forget about your vampire lover forever," Sasuke commented before he crossed the floor over to her and grabbed her neck in one hand.

Sakura tugged as hard as she could but every time she moved he'd squeeze her throat. She coughed a few times before she gave up fighting and just breathed. At least she could still do that.

"I wonder what your vampire would say if he found you bruised, beaten, and pregnant all by my doing?" he whispered, mostly to himself.

She opened her mouth to give him a snide comment but he was too quick. With a quick flick of his hand, he released her throat and slapped her across the face. Her head was thrown completely to one side. Her cheek burned! She could already feel the handprint taking form on her skin.

"W-what the hell?!" she gasped, finding it hard to ignore the pain.

Sasuke grinned evilly at her. "Beautiful! Human pain and suffering is absolutely breathtaking!"

Sakura was never given the chance to respond. He slapped her face the other way, earning a loud gasp of pain from the girl. Her cheeks were on fire! Her eyes squeezed shut at the pain. That was when she felt the fist at her stomach. He pressed his fist to her stomach then reeled back and sucker punched her right there, making her cry out and pull at her chains violently.

"More! I need more!" he hissed, grabbing the chair and pulling it over in front of her.

She could barely focus on what was happening. He had the back of the chair facing her. She watched as he straddled the chair the wrong way and tugged her tight t-shirt up to her bra, revealing her once flawless skin, now her freshly bruising skin. A dangerous, yet lustful look crossed his features before his licked his lips with a tongue that matched Sasori's in ugliness.

"The bruise really brings out the color in your skin," he teased, before he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to her skin in an open mouthed kiss.

Sakura cried out as a shearing pain ripped through her body. She could feel his unnatural tongue rubbing against her skin. Everywhere it touched, left a trail of burning pain. To him, it probably felt good. He was simply caressing her bruise with his tongue and mouth. To her, it felt like she was being ripped apart. How could a simple tongue hurt so much?

"P-please! S-stop…" she begged, tears falling from her eyes.

He finally relented and lifted his face, licking his smirking lips in the process. "Had enough already? But we've only just gotten started!"

Sakura shook her head weakly, "I…I can't t-take it!"

Sasuke grinned, "Wanna know why it hurts? I'm sure you've noticed my tongue by now. The odd coloring means it's poisonous. It's not poison like you think it is. It doesn't poison others, but simply burn them. Humans seem to feel it more than any other creatures. It's very fun."

She panted heavily for a moment then gulped and asked, "Why is your saliva…red?"

"Hm? I'm not really sure exactly. Maybe its because we feed only off of things that are alive? I can't say for sure but I know it doesn't hurt anything. Its just like your saliva only red. Its my tongue you should worry about," he replied.

Sakura shuddered and nodded, "I worry!"

"I know you do. That's why I have to make you scream before I get kicked out of here."

"W-what?" she stuttered, her eyes widening in fear.

Sasuke smirked then jumped to his feet and kicked the chair away. He reached around and fisted her hair then pressed her face against his. The pressure of their foreheads pressed so tightly together made her groan in agony.

He chuckled, "Oh we haven't started the fun part yet."

That was when he pressed his mouth to her's and tugged at her hair violently making her gasp against his lips, giving him quick access to her mouth. Sakura let out a bloodcurdling scream when his tongue thrust inside her mouth. The poisonous, fleshy object roamed her mouth freely, licking and tasting every inch of her. She was in complete and utter agony. She felt like she wanted to rip her head off to stop the pain. She thrashed, struggled, and fought as much as she could but she couldn't get his tongue out of her mouth.

But it wasn't long before the pain became too much. Her body stiffened then went limp and her head fell back loosely. Sasuke released her tortured mouth at that point and grinned down at her sardonically.

"You've been a blast girlie. We'll have to do this again real soon," he teased.

Before she passed out for the second time in one day, she saw Sasori and a man who looked a lot like Sasuke burst into the room. The Sasuke look-alike grabbed Sasuke and dragged him out of the room. Sasori was in front of her in second; tugging her shirt back down and saying something to her she couldn't hear. The last thing she saw were his eyes on her pain-filled mouth and a dark look in his eyes before her eyes shut permanently for the night.

* * *

Gaara punched and punched the cave wall until his knuckles were torn and bleeding profusely. He wouldn't stop, not until he was satisfied. He was too angry and depressed to follow his siblings and help them in whatever they were doing so instead, he decided to beat himself up while they were away. No matter what he did to his body, it wouldn't be enough. His heart hurt! The thing hadn't beat once his entire life and yet it was killing him! Ironic really.

He couldn't tear his heart out though. That would kill him, and as much as he wanted to die, he wouldn't. He couldn't find out the truth if he was dead. But for now, beating himself was a pretty good idea to him. This pain was very little compared to his internal wounds. But there was nothing he could do to stop that pain so this would have to do.

Torture: self-inflicted pain. It was a sad replacement for what he really wanted to do. Jumping off a cliff onto a bed of stakes sounded pretty damn good right now. He could always go out and make such a weapon of self-destruction but the time it would take to make it wouldn't be worth it. He'd rather just stay here and break every bone in his hand. It was working pretty well too.

It was a little past midnight and though he hadn't slept the night before, he didn't feel tired at all. He was perfectly content with remaining awake and alert. Though he wouldn't do anything to protect himself if he was attacked, he wouldn't sleep either. Sleeping wouldn't do him any good if his dreams would only be filled with images of _her_.

She clouded his every thought. He couldn't escape the images, the visions of her. Even being without her wasn't enough. She was still with him, at least, a little. His mind was conjuring her up but it was nice. He needed to see her, needed to be reminded of the good things she had brought into his life. The things she had made him feel and do. It was like a long forgotten dream he had never thought was possible to accomplish. Maybe it never would be. If she didn't return to him someday, his dream would be destroyed forever.

* * *

By the time Temari and Kankuro made it back to the cave, it was right before dawn. Both were exhausted and eager to see if Gaara had recovered at least a little bit or not. They were both pleasantly surprised to see him sitting up and gazing at the cave wall before him. Their surprise was almost immediately transformed into horror at the sight of the caved in wall and his bloody hands and clothes.

"Gaara! What have you done to yourself?!" Temari demanded, running over to him and taking his hand gently in her's.

Kankuro's eyes narrowed as he watched his sister examine his hands. Both of his hands were in brutal condition and yet Gaara looked careless, almost like he deserved it. But why? What could he have done that was bad enough for him to hurt himself like this?

"Kankuro, get him to talk to us! We've got to find out why he's doing this!" Temari exclaimed.

Kankuro calmly walked over to them and knelt down beside his brother. Gaara didn't even acknowledge he was there. It was only when Kankuro raised his fist and punched him right in the jaw as hard as he could, did he finally show some kind of emotion. His eyes widened as his body flew through the air and crashed into the cave wall.

Gaara was on his feet instantly but the wall behind him was deeply indented and looked like something had tried to dig through it and lost.

"What the hell was that for?!" Gaara demanded, clearly pissed.

Temari's eyes widened as she looked from Gaara to Kankuro and back. "G-Gaara?" she whispered.

Gaara growled and sat down in a huff, not caring if his clothes got bloodier. He had always thought blood was attractive on people anyways. Why not fit in? Everyone was doing it these days.

Temari was still looking bewildered and shocked. He had gone a whole day without talking to them and looking so hopelessly lost and alone. It was horrible and yet now he was suddenly back. Brought too but a fist, no less. It was confusing and made no sense but she was happy. No matter what had been done she was glad to have her little brother back to normal, well kind of.

"Are you…ok?" she questioned, hopeful.

Gaara glanced at her and grunted, "Yeah…no, I don't know. Maybe."

Temari blinked a few times then growled and tackled him to the ground, "You moron! Which is it?! Yes? No? You can't do that! We've been so worried about you! Just give us a damn answer!"

Gaara growled but didn't fight back, "And why should I? Just because you were worried?"

"Well if that's not a good enough reason then do it because I'm your big sister and you love me!"

He snorted, "Love doesn't exist."

Temari pushed him hard into the ground, "Yes it does! I love you silly, even if you are a brat."

"Well I don't love you!" he snarled

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Of course you do, now admit it!"

"Never!"

Kankuro burst out laughing at their arguing causing them both to stop and look over at him. With a wide grin, Kankuro held up a thumbs up and exclaimed proudly, "Nice to have you back Gaara."

**(There ya go, you Gaara pouters :P He's back to normal and maybe, just maybe, I'll get him to chase after her or something. I don't know yet. But next chapter will be mostly Sakura, Sasori, and a little bit of Gaara and his siblings. I'll have it up soon, I just need to finish writing it. Thanks every one for reading and reviewing! If you're interested, one of you readers has posted a picture of this story on the internet. I have the link on my profile. You don't have to look but I thought it was cool. You readers are so devoted^^ Thank you all so much!!!)**

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	19. Chapter 18, Playing with Fire

**(ARE YOU READY?!?!?!?! I'm thinking yes^^ You've all been very patient with me and have been waiting for this chapter for awhile. This is the rape chapter between Sasori and Sakura. It's definitely rated "M" so prepare yourselves. It's not as detailed as the GaaraxSakura part but its not supposed to be. You'll understand after you read it. Anywho, here it is, chapter eighteen!**

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**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Eighteen: Play with Fire_**

Sakura was out for two days. Two whole days! She had never thought it possible to be unconscious for that long by something caused simply by pain alone. It just never seemed possible until now. She had experienced it so it was more than real to her now. The unusual part about it was that she hadn't woken up naturally but by something, or someone, calling out to her. A voice was telling her to wake up. It was annoying, to say the least.

"I'm up…" she mumbled, her eyes still shut tight. Her head was pounding and a part of her was almost afraid to open her eyes.

Someone chuckled, "You are definitely not up. If you were, you'd be at least be sitting up by now."

She was never one to back down from a challenge, if you could call it that.

With a wince, she slowly opened her eyes, quickly noticing the darkness all around her. There was no candle, no sunlight, no light at all. Once she realized that, she soon realized she was comfortable, and lying down. She wasn't chained to the wall anymore, but instead lying in someone's bed. A comfortable bed, but an unsettling bed just the same.

"Where am I?" she asked, turning her head to gaze at the figure sitting in a chair at her bedside.

She couldn't see the person's face but she had a good feeling of who it was: Sasori. He was the last person she saw before she passed out and he seemed to be around a lot. It really wasn't all that surprising to find him taking care of her.

Her suspicion proved to be right when he leaned forward close enough for her to see his face. "Bout time. Good morning sunshine," he teased.

Sakura simply grunted in response, not finding it in her will to bite back a snippy reply.

Sasori's grinned slightly before he answered, "You're in my room, obviously. After your little ordeal with Sasuke, I had to take you somewhere to recover as well as somewhere where you'd be safe from him."

The memories flooded her mind at that moment making her shudder. The pain, the poisonous kiss…Sasuke. It was all too much to bear. What kind of person got so much thrill out of another's pain? A sadistic demon, apparently. Sasuke was now at the top of her "avoid-at-all-costs" list. It was a mental list she had just created and she had a bad feeling it would be filled with other names as well.

"What he did to you was uncalled for. I make the rules around here when our leader is away. Sasuke was ordered not to go anywhere near you. I won't apologize for what he did but I will say he's being punished as we speak. Actually, I should say he's still being punished over the past two days," Sasori explained.

"Was it that bad for him to do that?" she questioned.

His eyes narrowed dangerously, "No one touches what another demon has claimed. I named you mine for the night and he touched you, caused you pain. He bruised your body and brutalized your mouth. That's not too horrible but when you belong to me, that's something he definitely should've avoided. You won't be seeing him for many nights now."

Sakura could only nod in relief. She was very happy with that news. She didn't want to see him again for as long as she lived.

"Now as for you…how are you feeling?"

She met his gaze for a moment then shrugged, "I have a headache but that's about it. It doesn't hurt to speak, like I thought it would."

Sasori nodded, "That's because I took all of the poison out. It was a very unsatisfying experience but you finally relaxed after the poison was gone."

"How'd you do that?"

He hesitated then shrugged, "The poison is like liquid. It is very strong at first then soaks into your skin, or in your case, your mouth. I had to scrub every inch of your mouth with the antidote, a tainted venom. It was very unpleasant but you wouldn't stop screaming. He went too far. Every demon knows better than to kiss a human. The aftermath is too much. It wouldn't have killed you but you would've felt it for a long time."

Sakura shuddered again, "…Thank you. I didn't want that feeling to continue."

"I know. No human would. It's one of those things I'm glad I won't have to experience."

Sakura simply nodded in agreement then looked at the ceiling. She couldn't tell the color of the room or even how big the bed was. She just knew she was in his bed and suddenly, that thought frightened her. It should've scared her before but it didn't hit her until now. He had gotten her where he wanted her and there wasn't anything she could do now.

But then another thought came to her mind. If he wanted to impregnate her so badly, then why hadn't he tried it already? Even if she were unconscious it still would've worked. It would've been a smart move on his part and yet she knew he hadn't done anything. Maybe a small part of her trusted him enough to believe he hadn't. Either way, she was safe.

Well she _had been_ safe. Suddenly she felt hands on both her arms, and the bed sink down as something moved above her. Her eyes soon stared right into his, and at that moment she knew she was in serious trouble.

"I took very good care of you while you were out. I cleaned out the poison, gave you my bed, and didn't even lay a hand on you. Now I'm very tired of waiting. I put off the fun stuff for as long as I could. Now that you're awake, I see no point in avoiding it any longer. It's time for us to play," Sasori breathed shallowly, his breathe hot on her face.

He was too close. He was in her personal space and that sped her heart rate up a notch. She was scared out of her mind! She didn't want him touching her or kissing her. She couldn't go through that pain again. But he was strong, too strong for her to fight off. As her legs kicked and bucked, he pressed his thighs against her's and held them tight to the bed. She was immobilized.

"Be still now. You owe me," he hissed before he leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead.

She flinched, expecting a lot of pain, but none came. She could feel his lips on her skin and yet it didn't hurt at all.

"Our lips aren't poisonous. It's our tongue you should be afraid of. As long as it stays away from your skin, you'll be fine," he explained quickly, before his lips began trailing up and down her neck.

He nipped playfully at her throat and continued kissing his way down toward her shirt. She couldn't remember what her shirt looked like and she really didn't care. Apparently he didn't either since he simply ripped through it with his teeth and tossed it to the ground. She shivered as the cool air touched her exposed skin. Sure she still had her bra on, but that was off just as quick.

Sakura let out a small whimper as her bra was torn from her body and thrown aside. She couldn't move her arms to cover herself so she was held exposed to his hungry gaze.

"My, my… It's been quite some time since I've had a woman. I usually don't play with humans but now I'm starting to wonder why I avoided it," Sasori murmured before he leaned down and kissed the top of each breast sensually.

She squeezed her eyes shut and started struggling again. It was useless but she couldn't just let him get away with this. The feeling of his lips on her skin was foreign and unfriendly. She didn't want it and yet there was nothing she could do. She had to take it, whether she wanted too or not. For a fleeting moment, she wished she could be strong enough to overpower him. She wished she could be a vampire.

_'No, Gaara wouldn't change me. I wouldn't want him too…would I?'_ she wondered. Those were her last coherent thoughts before he kissed her right nipple making her gasp and arch her back. As much as her mind screamed betrayal at her, her body was the one betraying her and Gaara. She didn't want him and yet she couldn't completely suppress the pleasure she felt.

He couldn't use his tongue so his actions were limited. It seemed completely fine with him, since he simply pulled both arms above her head and took her wrists with one hand. With one hand now free, he reached down and cupped one breast. He squeezed it roughly and thumbed her nipple almost painfully. The pain filled pleasure was startling. A small part of her enjoyed it! It was sickening…

"Just let your body feel what it wants. Why are you resisting?" he murmured.

Sakura shook her head violently, "Never! I'll never give in to you!"

Sasori was unfazed. "Suit yourself. You'll be moaning in no time."

He wasn't completely wrong either. With demonic speed, his cloak and shirt were thrown aside along with her pants and panties. Once she was completely naked and exposed beneath him, he let out a deep, scary chuckle.

"Such perfection. I've never seen a human with a body like yours. Almost demonic-like."

She didn't have a reply for that. She could only turn her head away in shame. She could do nothing but let him gaze upon her. She couldn't free herself or cover her body. He could touch her, watch her, do whatever he wanted to her and she could do nothing to stop him. Life was far too cruel. Why did she have to be a simple human?

That was when he removed his pants. With a shock, Sakura noticed he had gone commando. She couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks. She definitely didn't want to see that sight and she really shouldn't be so immature about it. She had seen Gaara's right? Well this wasn't Gaara. He could never be Gaara. It wasn't possible for anyone to be even remotely similar to him.

But Sasori didn't care if she was immature or if she stared at his length. He just wanted her and that's exactly what he was going to get, even if he had to force her. With a hard thrust of his knee, his slid her legs apart, pressed his hips to her's, and pushed his length tight against her core.

"Please…no," she begged, her eyes squeezing shut.

Sasori snorted, "Why would I give into your begging?"

How could she answer that? Why _would_ a demon listen to a human? The answer was never. Demons would never listen to humans, no matter what. This case was no different. Sasori wouldn't listen to her. He wouldn't heed her cries. He wasn't honorable, noble, or anything like that. He was just an evil, horny demon who simply wanted a child. Ok, so it wasn't so simple…

Sakura could only wince when he finally thrust into her. It was a lot different than with Gaara. It had been strictly pain with him but this time, she didn't feel any pain. He also felt different, like he wasn't the same as Gaara. Another blush crossed her features when she came to that realization. Why would she pay attention to _that_?

She never had the chance to figure it out. He began moving almost immediately. He pulled out completely then thrust back into her, harder and deeper every time. It was sad but her body was enjoying while her mind kept screaming at her to do something to stop this. All she could do was cry. She wouldn't beg anymore. It was wasted effort. Instead she cried. Crying wouldn't help either but it made her feel slightly better.

He must've seen her tears because he stopped mid-thrust and growled above her. Even with her eyes shut, the tears still slipped out and down her cheeks. It shouldn't bother him. Humans cried all the time, especially women. He should be used to it and yet, he was angry. Here he was, trying to lose himself in bliss, and she was crying! Surely she should feel the same pleasure he felt.

At some point between her stifling tears and his hesitation, a faint knocking was heard at the door. It took him quite some time before he finally realized someone was at his door.

With a growl he yelled out, "Who is it?"

"Leader-sama has returned," the person replied.

Sasori stiffened then quickly released Sakura and hopped out of bed. She watched vaguely as he got dressed in record time and hurried over to the door.

As his hand touched the doorknob he turned around and glared at her, "Next time I will finish and you will not stop me. No one will." It was a promise, one that made her tears run faster.

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Gaara glared at Temari long and hard before he turned his death glare on Kankuro who completely ignored him. The three sat in silence as they waited patiently for Gaara to tell them exactly what had happened. He wasn't exactly willing to tell them the story just yet. It had been two days and still he wouldn't tell them anything.

"Well? Are you gonna tell us or not?" Temari asked, finally.

Gaara grunted, "Why should I? Why do you care?"

Temari growled, "Why?! Because you're my brother and Sakura was my friend! I want to know what happened and why she's gone!"

Gaara simply looked away. Apart of him wanted to tell her and yet, he felt like if he did they'd run off and start looking for her. It wasn't such a bad idea but if anyone was gonna find her, it should be him.

"You really should tell us, Gaara. We cared about her too," Kankuro muttered at last.

Gaara stared at him for a moment then shrugged, "What's there to tell? She's gone. That's all there is to it."

"Well why is she gone? What happened?" Temari demanded.

He looked toward the entrance and stared. He wasn't as upset as he had been. He was talking now and the part that wanted to chase after Sakura had gotten bigger. He wanted to rescue her, bring her back into his arms with force or without. She belonged to him, whether she liked it or not. And yet, he couldn't get himself to get up and move. Maybe he did need his siblings…

"It was the demons. I…I left here in the woods for protection. I didn't want to bring here into the house, into the fighting. After I found you guys I went back for her. She wasn't in the spot I left her but her scent was still there and easy to track. The problem was that there was another scent, the scent of a demon," Gaara began.

Temari and Kankuro shared a growl. Neither were too happy with the demons right now.

"I found them easily enough but I was above them. I don't know what happened but she seemed to know him or something. She was smiling and was happy to go with him. She said she _wanted_ to go! I heard her thoughts and she was so happy, so _relieved._ I couldn't follow them. I know I should've but…" he trailed off, not wanting to finish that.

"We know. You were too shocked to follow. That's perfectly understandable. But are you absolutely sure she went willingly?" Temari questioned.

Gaara growled, "Of course I'm sure!"

"Relax Gaara, we're trying to help. Now listen, to me. I've seen how you two look at each other. There's not just a simple crush going on between you two. That girl loves you whether she wants to admit it or not and frankly, I think you love her too," Kankuro explained.

"I do no-"

"Yes you do. I don't care if you admit it but it's very obvious. Now, if you truly do care for her then you'll let nothing take her away from you. You'd go after her, take her back from this demon. Even if she knows him she'll want you, if you come for her. Trust yourself Gaara. She's special to you," Kankuro said, cutting him off.

Gaara didn't know what to say. He was speechless. Kankuro had hit everything right on the mark. He knew how he was feeling and knew just what to say. It was ironic to see such a party animal of a brother acting so wise for once. Still, he had many good ideas and he knew what to do. For once Gaara wanted to listen to him. He suddenly wanted to go after Sakura.

"Don't be rash Gaara. You can't do anything right now. The sun is going to come out soon and we all need to sleep. Your hand is still healing as well. You can't fight with it like that," Temari pointed out.

She was right of course. For the past two days, both siblings had been patient with him. Once they had finally got him talking again, neither one would leave his side for long. One was always with him. It was silly but for once he didn't mind. Even if all they were doing was protecting him from himself, it didn't matter. He was just trying to build up the courage to tell them what had happened.

Now that was done. He had spilled everything and now he had to wait, again. Tomorrow night they could leave. They could go back and find that demon's scent, hopefully, then follow it to wherever he took Sakura. He could get her back, but would it be worth it? Would she come back to him willingly? It was worth a shot at least. If she didn't want to come back with him, then he'd let her stay there. But he had to know the truth. There was something wrong with all of this and he was going to find out what…

**(So how was it? Did you all like it? I tried to make this chapter longer than the past few ones. I told you it wouldn't be a very detailed rape scene and there is a reason why Sasori had to leave so suddenly. I'll explain everything in the next chapter. The next chapter will be the introduction of the demon hunters. I don't want Sakura and Gaara separated for too long. Plus the demons weren't supposed to have a big part in this story anyways. Again, I give a special thanks to my reviewers! You guys are freaking amazingly awesome! And I this wouldn't be a good story if it wasn't for my readers^^ Thanks a lot everyone!!)**

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	20. Chapter 19, Demon Hunters

**(A/N: Hello people!!! Did ya miss me? =P Sorry, I just haven't been feeling like writing stories much anymore. No idea why, just don't :\ I'm sorry I've been making you guys wait but here it is! Chapter 19!! I'm not too happy with this chapter but I wanted to get it done for you guys. Hope you like it anyways, even if I don't)**

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**Taste Tester**

**_Chapter Nineteen: Demon Hunters_**

Sakura didn't sleep that night. After she had gotten dressed and finally stopped crying, she had lain in bed and tried to sleep. She couldn't. Memories were haunting her. The ones of Sasuke and Sasori. So far her entire time here had been awful. She wanted to go home, to Gaara. Gaara was her home, her love, her everything. If she could be with him then she'd be perfectly fine.

The problem was getting to him. The door wasn't locked but she wasn't about to leave the room either. She didn't trust Sasori anymore but she also didn't trust the other demons. She didn't know any of them enough to try escaping. She was better off just staying in that horrible demon's bed. It was stupid but it was all she had.

It wasn't until dawn, when someone finally came to the room. This time it was the blonde guy from before. He entered the room cautiously then closed and locked the door.

"Hey chickie!" he greeted with a friendly grin. He definitely wasn't like the other demons.

Sakura raised an eyebrow then sat up in bed, "Who are you?"

"Me? Call me Deidara. And who are?" he questioned, plopping down on the bed beside her.

She watched as he stretched out on his bed and closed his eyes peacefully. "I'm Sakura."

"That suits you, un," he murmured, opening one eye to gaze up at her.

"I get that a lot. So why are you here?" she asked curiously.

Deidara shrugged, "Just some slight territorially problems outside. The others are checking it out now but I've been ordered to come and protect you, un. So until Sasori or someone comes to relieve me, you're stuck with me."

Sakura breathed out a sigh of relief, "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. I am so sick of everyone here."

"Not surprising. We can be quite irritating, un," he replied with a chuckle.

"How come you aren't like the others? Aren't you interested in…bedding me?" she questioned, blushing slightly.

Deidara glanced at her for a long moment then grinned, "Well sure I am. But the only reason I would want too is because I'm a horny man, nothing more, un. I don't care for babies and would prefer to not have any. If it happens, it happens. Still, you're Sasori's first so no one will touch you in the mean time, un."

For once, Sakura actually believed him, a demon no less. He seemed like a pretty honest guy who didn't have a care in the world. He was cheery, very smiley, and she found herself liking him around. Plus he had shoved Sasuke to the ground, which was a very good thing. She hadn't that man with a passion unlike any other.

"Sasori's room is so dark, un. We should lighten it up," Deidara commented suddenly, getting off the bed to search for a candle in the darkness.

"It is very dark in here. I can't tell what time of day it is," she murmured.

"That's the point. We live for so long that we don't care what time of day it is. We sleep when we want too, leave whenever we feel like it, and really the only reason we have these black windows is to scare people away, un," he explained.

Suddenly the room lit up thanks to the tiny flickering of a candle now in Deidara's hand. He set it down on a table near the door then walked back over to the bed. Sakura could see the room clearly now and was surprised by the size. There wasn't much in it but it was a lot better than that tiny cell. She was somewhat thankful to be here instead.

If she did have to be raped by these guys then she'd prefer to have it done when she's not chained to a wall. That just doesn't seem comfortable in anyway shape or form.

"It's actually the middle of the day right now," Deidara said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Geez, then these windows really must work," Sakura replied, eyeing the pitch-black windows.

Deidara chuckled, "Well of course they do. We wouldn't use them otherwise, un."

Suddenly a horn bellowed in the distance making Deidara jump to his feet and glare at the window. His nail grew out into sharp claws and a snarl appeared on his lips, revealing not just two fangs but two rows of them. He looked terrifying.

"W-what is it?" she asked, inching away from him.

"Trouble," he replied quietly, moving toward the window.

He stood as close to it as he could and concentrated hard. His eyes turned bright and seemed to glow as he tried to see through the black window. For a small moment, Sakura actually thought his eyes were pretty. It was silly but she couldn't help it. She was only a human girl, after all, and pretty things always captured their attention.

Without warning, Deidara on top of her, holding her down against the mattress. She opened her mouth to demand what he was doing but her words turned into a gasp when the window shattered and the room shook as something flew into the room through the now open window. Glass had scattered everywhere, including the bed. Small pieces stuck out of Deidara's back but he simply sat up and shook himself off, releasing a few pieces.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked, staring up at the blonde demon.

But Deidara wasn't paying attention to her anymore. He growled and jumped off the bed, putting himself between her and the person that stood perfectly still in the corner of the room.

"You think you can take me, un?" he taunted, flexing his claws.

Sakura peered around him and gasped at the sight. There, standing at attention, was a man with long brown hair and pure white eyes. He wore black clothes and a matching mask around his nose and mouth. In his hands were two small swords, though they were too big to be called daggers. She knew she should be scared of him but there was only one thought that rang through her mind, _'I'm being saved!' _

"Should've kept away from the window, demon. Your eyes are very noticeable," the man commented, raising his swords.

"I'm glad I gave myself away. It's been along time since I've fought anyone, un," Deidara replied, crouching low.

The man nodded, "Then bring it."

Everything was a blur after that. Deidara had sprung at the man but he had been expecting it. Sakura couldn't catch much after that. She say them rotating around the room, sparing off, claws vs. swords. She couldn't tell who was winning but she did hear Deidara snarl a few times.

"Dammit!" Deidara cried, as one sword pierced clean through his shoulder.

"Like it? It's a special poison we've whipped up to fight against you demons. We're sick of you killing humans for fun. We're fighting back and we're gonna kill you off or die trying," the man explained, ripping his sword out.

Deidara stepped back, holding his bleeding shoulder, "I like the thought of you dying, un."

His shoulder was tinged with his blood and some kind of silver pigment. It was then that she noticed that the man's swords were dripping, as if they had been wetted down by something.

"You won't be standing for much longer so I think I'll kill you now," the man announced, lunging forward.

Deidara swiped his uninjured arm at the sword, blocking it from making contact with his body. He shoved the man away then sprang out the window, hurtling to the ground below.

Sakura gasped and ran to the window to see if he had been hurt in the fall. The ground was littered with blood and torn clothing but no bodies. Deidara was nowhere to be found.

"I can tell you're human. Come with me," the man spoke from behind her.

Sakura turned around and eyed him curiously, "And who are you exactly?"

The man bowed his head slightly, "My name is Neji. I'm a member of a small group of humans who have decided to take a stand against these damned creatures. We call ourselves demon hunters."

"How'd you find this place?" she asked.

"We found it awhile ago but we've been waiting for the right time to attack. We were waiting in the forest around this place when they started appearing, ons of demons running out of the house and into the woods after us. This was our goal, to kill these beasts at all costs. I was ready to get into the fight when I noticed the familiar glow from this window. I wouldn't have come up here otherwise. You got lucky," Neji explained.

Sakura shook her head, "Oh wait, so how can humans fight against such formidable foes?"

"We were trained to fight them and only them. We aren't demon hunters for nothing," he replied.

Suddenly the house shook again and voices were heard below.

"If you wanna live, come with me," Neji ordered, holding out his hand.

As if she would refuse? Sakura quickly nodded then placed her hand in his. He pulled her against him then helped her up onto the windowsill.

"Please tell me we're not jumping," she begged, clenching his shirt desperately.

Neji rolled his eyes, "I'm a professional, now be quiet and hold on tight."

Sakura closed her eyes and pressed her face against his chest as he jumped from the window. She didn't know when they hit the ground because she didn't feel anything. There was no indication of it at all. Opening her eyes, she was surprised to find that they were in the trees, jumping from branch to branch high above the ground.

"Oh wow!" she exclaimed.

"Shhh, they'll be after us once they notice you're missing. I've got to get you back to camp right away where you'll be safe. Just be quiet or else they might hear us," he warned.

She so did not want to go back there. She was done with demons and hoped to God she never saw another one ever again. She didn't want anything to do with them and was very thankful to finally be getting away from them.

"Neji? Why are you heading back already?" a voice asked out of nowhere.

Sakura looked up at him and was surprised to see a tiny earpiece in his ear.

"Sorry Gai-sensei but I've encountered a bit of an obstacle. Seems like the demons were harboring a human in there," Neji replied.

"Really? Well things have just gotten interesting! We'll all be back shortly," the voice, or Gai, commented.

"If you guys are so high-tech why aren't you using guns?" Sakura questioned.

Neji glanced down at her then replied, "Because it takes too long to fill bullets with the poison we've created. If we simply dipped then into the poison like our weapons then they'd ruin the guns. This is the easiest way to fight demons so guns aren't necessary."

"You know what? I'm just gonna enjoy the ride instead of trying to figure you guys out," Sakura mumbled, sorry she had asked.

Neji shrugged, "Suit yourself. We'll be at camp in a few minutes."

Sakura nodded then thought, _'Good, I can't wait to be out of this nightmare.'_

**(A/N: Ok all done! I've started chapter 20 but idk when it'll be finished. I hope it won't take as long, now that I'm getting into it. Just stick with me people and I promise I'll have this story finished...eventually . Thank you all soooooooo much! I love you my wonderful reviewers!!!)**

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	21. Chapter 20, Freedom

**(A/N: Hiiiiiiii! Did you miss me? =P Well, I was up all night reading every chapter and trying to get back into the story and finally, at 6am, I did it! So I finished this chapter and started the next one. I should have that one done and up by monday, hopefully. For all you true fans and awesome reviewers, this chapter is for you! I've recieved tons and tons of reviews and most kept asking me to continue the story so how can I possibly disappoint them? You all are frickin' amazing! Thanks for sticking with this story^^ Now here's Chapter 20!)**

**Disclaimer: In this chapter I refer to a book called HawkSong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. It's an amazing book, my absolute favorite book of all time. Sakura quotes a couple lines from the book so just FYI I'm not stealing it, I'm giving the book credit here. Happy? **

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Taste Tester

_**Chapter Twenty: Freedom**_

Sakura stared in awe at the area around her. She had never seen anything like it before. Everything was so perfect and organized! It was very easy to see that this was the work of humans.

"Welcome to our base," Neji murmured, setting her down on the ground.

They had arrived only moments before, now both standing on the forest floor. There were dozens of tree houses all over above them, with hidden ropes tied to reachable branches above their heads. On the ground was some kind of training course. There were stone-carved dummies, wooden ones, some kind of fitness trail, and a bunch of accessible weapons.

"This is amazing!" she breathed, gazing up at the forts.

"It should be, it took years to build," he replied.

"And we're very proud of it," a new voice commented from nearby.

Standing behind them was a girl with brown hair in buns on the side of her head. She had a long pole-like weapon attached to her side.

"Tenten," Neji murmured.

The woman, Tenten, smirked then strode forward and held out her hand, "Welcome to our home. Call me Tenten."

Sakura shook her hand and smiled, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Sakura."

"And exactly what are you doing here, Sakura?" Tenten asked, genuinely curious.

"I found her in that demon nest," Neji answered before Sakura could even open her mouth.

Tenten gasped, "You were their captive? How are you even alive? Are you ok? Oh god, if you're under their mind control or something we're all doomed! Neji, what if you brought back one of them?"

Neji sighed, "Would you just be quiet for once? She's fine, obviously. I don't know why they had her but we'll find out later once the others have returned."

Tenten frowned, "I suppose you're right. I'm sorry Sakura, I'm just deathly afraid of demons. That's why I didn't go with to fight. I've only known them to kill and eat humans, not keep them as captives."

Sakura shook her head, "It's alright. If you'd rather I tell you everything later then I will. I mean, I do owe you my life."

Neji blinked a few times then hmphed, "I was only doing my job."

Tenten giggled and wrapped her arms around his waist, "He's a big softie underneath, I assure you."

Neji growled and shoved her off, "Oh leave me alone, would you?" With that he stormed off, leaving Tenten to laugh in his absence.

Sakura smirked slightly at their antics and thought back to good old times with Gaara and his siblings. Sure Gaara could act like a tough guy most of the time but underneath he was as sweet as honey. She'd never admit that to him of course, for he would surely flip out and make sure she never thought of him in that way again. _'I'd give anything to have him flip out on me now. At least then I'd be with him,' _she thought sadly, gazing up at the sky through the trees.

"You've got the strangest hair color, girl."

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and glanced at the girl beside her. "Um, thank you?"

Tenten frowned, however, and grabbed a batch of it to look at it more closely. "This color would attract any male, demon or human. I guess it's not surprising that they picked you to be their captive."

"Trust me, it's not because of my hair color. At least, not entirely," Sakura replied, stepping out of her reach.

Tenten stared at her hair for a moment longer then grinned and wrapped her arm through her's. "Forget it; let's just go get you situated. I have a feeling you're gonna be here for quite some time, missy."

'_I hope not!'_ Sakura thought wildly, smiling fakely. Staying here for long was out of the question. If Gaara came searching for her and found her among demon hunters, it wouldn't end well. In fact, the humans would probably shoot him the second he did anything vampire-like, which was bad luck for him since he sucked at pretending to be human in the first place. Oh how she wished things could just go back to the way they were, like one of the many nights they spent alone in the mansion…

* * *

'Oh Zane Cobriana, how I truly adore you,' _Sakura mused, __smiling as she read one of her favorite books of all time. _

_The sun had nearly set so Gaara would be awake in just a few minutes. Until then, Sakura did what she always did whenever she happened to wake up before him; she'd read. Today's book was from one of the first few she hid under her bed long ago. The difference between this book and the others was that this one was much more modern and didn't have yellow pages. She preferred her books fresh anyways._

"_So now you like fictional characters over me, huh?"_

_Sakura glanced up from her book and raised an eyebrow at the silent vampire. "Knock much?"_

"_You don't need privacy," Gaara replied, stretching out on the bed beside her._

"_And here I once thought you were sweet," she murmured, before rolling her eyes and going back to reading. _

"_I'm a vampire, we don't do sweet."_

_She nodded slightly but gave no other response; she was just too into her book. _

_Gaara wasn't one to be ignored and he absolutely hated it when people tried to do it over and over again! Sometimes he wondered if she just enjoys pissing him off. If that's the case, well he'd have to make her pay for it!_

"_What are you reading?" he questioned, snatching the book from her hands._

"_Uh hey! Don't just take it from me!" she exclaimed, trying to grab it back. Being short had its disadvantages though and there was no way he'd give the book back without making her work for it first._

_Lifting it high above her head, he flipped it around and read the title. "HawkSong? Sounds cheesy."_

"_Oh shut up, it's the best book ever written." Sakura's tone was grouchy and she had obviously given up on trying to get her book back by now._

"_You should stick with the classics," Gaara offered, handing her book back._

_Sakura hmphed and turned back to her page. "If I wanted to read a classic, I would. Today I wanted to read a heartfelt romance novel from modern times. Besides, some new books can actually turn out to be better than a lot of classics."_

"_Prove it."_

_She glanced up at his confused. "What?"_

_He smirked and settled in the bed more. "Read it to me."_

_Although a bit skeptical she nodded and turned back a few pages. "Alright but you have to have an open mind, ok? Don't tune me out or I'll never read to you again, no matter how much you beg and plead. Got it?"_

"_Yes koi."_

_Clearing her throat a bit she began reading:_

"You are an attractive woman, Danica, but I do not love you. I do not think I ever can. I look into your golden hawk's eyes, and no matter how stunning the form they accompany, I think only of your warriors murdering my loved ones. Since you recoil every time you accidentally find your own gaze fallen upon Cobriana garnet, I suspect you feel the same."

_Sakura stopped there, not wanting to get too carried away. The next part was a bit of a spoiler anyways so she might as well leave it there instead of ruining it for him if he did decide to read the book._

"_I'm confused, what is the book about?" Gaara questioned after finally realizing she wasn't going to continue._

"_Think of it as Romeo and Juliet in a more fantasy themed scenario. Two people from different sides of the war are forced to marry to save their people. But peace comes at a price neither is ready for and the book is simply about how they struggle to deal with an unwanted marriage and see if they can uncover some sort of love toward one another. It's a master-piece," she explained._

'So it's like us then? We're from different sides and we're both trying to find a way to love each other though it doesn't seem possible. I don't believe it's possible for me to love anyone and how could she believe she could fall in love with a vampire?' His thoughts made the truth unwanted but vivid. Perfect…

_With a grunt he grabbed the book once again then tossed it on the ground and pulled her on top of him._

"_Gaara! What the hell?" she demanded, struggling to get up and retrieve her book. _

"_The book is interesting, I'll admit but I'd much rather turn that story into real life. Kiss me Sakura, and I promise I'll search for it as hard as I possibly can."_

* * *

It was a promise to find love in their relationship, to find love in her. At the time, the kiss afterwards made her forget that fact and until now, she hadn't even thought back to that night or realized what he said.

'_I'll search too Gaara, but you gotta find me first,'_ she thought, clasping her hands together prayer-like.

"You ok Sakura?" Tenten questioned, stirring the girl from her thoughts.

Sakura nodded and focused on the group approaching the village entrance. "Yeah I'm ok, just remembering a good friend of mine."

Tenten smirked then patted her shoulder in a friendly manner. "We'll get you home in no time. But first you gotta explain everything and that might take some time since a lot of people here might not trust you right away."

Great. That's exactly what she needed, to be away from Gaara even longer. It was bad enough that she had to be kidnapped by demons but to also be disabled freedom by her rescuers? That's bullshit. Go figure right after things are finally looking up for the couple and they're starting to come together much better, something just has to come along and fuck everything up.

Suddenly a girl broke off from the group, shouting as she ran. "Tenten!"

Said girl smiled and waved. "Hey Ino! Come meet the new girl!"

This girl, Ino, was quite pretty. She had very long blonde hair and startling blue eyes. To top it off, she wore an outfit that casually showed off her figure without full-out flaunting it to the world. Maybe she wouldn't be half bad?

"Wow, weird hair huh? Pretty obvious why the demons chose you. But why did they keep you alive? Besides the hair, you're not very appealing in the least," Ino commented, openly studying her.

Sakura growled and clenched her fists in anger, '_I hate her already!' _"At least I have something, what's so appealing about you? You're average and plain, just like the majority of the female population. In fact, you must be quite jealous of the fact that the demons picked me and let me live instead of picking someone like you," she taunted, wanting to piss this new girl off as much as possible.

"Watch it new girl, I'm trained to kill demons but I might not hesitate to do the same to you," Ino hissed, flicking out a kunai from a pouch at her hip.

"Geez, why so hostile Ino? Sakura is our guest and she's been through a lot so be nice," Tenten scolded.

Ino snorted, "No thanks, I don't do nice." With that said, she turned and walked further into the village allowing Sakura to stick her tongue out at her back.

"I'm really sorry about her. Ino can be very hard to deal with. Her personality is very simple though; she views ever female as a threat because she wants men to notice her and they can't if there's a prettier girl around. So in truth, Ino kind of complimented you and viewed you a worthy rival," Tenten explained the best she could.

"No wonder Neji was able to notice you as a human right away. That hair of yours stands out," a new voice commented.

The girls turned around and noticed that the majority of the group had finally reached them and only a few had continued to walk by, not caring about the new girl at all. So far this village was turning out to be full of sweethearts…

"This is Sakura, Gai-sensei. She was trapped in the demon's lair," Tenten explained, bowing her head in respect.

Gai bent down and studied Sakura face-to-face, making her step back slightly in nervousness. This guy was just too weird looking to allow him to get too close to her body. Go figure it would be her with trust issues, not the villagers.

"Definitely not a demon. Good. Welcome to our home, Sakura!" Gai exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

Sakura tensed up and struggled to breathe normally, _'Gaara save me now!'_

_**(Okie dokie, there's chapter 20! Chapter 21 is in the making and should be up very soon. I'm really getting into it again =P Sorry for the long wait though guys, I started college and am trying to juggle that with work so I haven't had much time to get on the computer. Thanks for waiting though! I really appreciate it! Bye bye now^^)**_


	22. Chapter 21, Don't Forget About Me

**(A/N: Hi everyone~! Guess who's back? ;) I'm really super sorry for the wait! It's been like what, two years since I updated? God that's so horrible of me, I'm sorry! I've been busy with college, work, and for the past seven months I was in my first serious relationship til he dumped me! So now I'm done with boys and their bs, so I can focus on other things, like my stories! I know this one isn't very long but it was hard to keep it interesting. Next chapter should be a bit more lively. Thank you all for sticking with me! I know I haven't been very dependable :( I'll try harder from now on, thanks again!) **

* * *

**Taste Tester**

_**Chapter Twenty-One: Don't Forget About Me**_

It was difficult, but she did it. Sakura learned to like Gai-sensei!

He was very nice and didn't distrust her immediately like half of the villagers did. They had decided to wait for nightfall before questioning her on everything which meant there was plenty of time to get to know each other. In this time, Sakura had found a couple people she really liked already. One was a boy named Naruto and the other was another sensei named Kakashi. Between those two and Gai's overly friendliness, she was beginning to like this village.

"How's your food?" Naruto questioned, piping up from beside her.

Sakura glanced down at her untouched bowl of ramen. "Eh, good…"

"What's wrong? Are you not hungry or something?" he inquired, starting to get worried now.

"Leave her be Naruto. She can eat at whatever pace she wants," Kakashi murmured from beneath his mask.

She didn't fully understand why he wore a mask but when she asked he simply smiled and wouldn't answer her. Naruto didn't know the answer to that one either and it's supposedly a question that will forever go unanswered in this village.

The blonde boy hmphed and crossed his arms behind his back, "But it's a waste of perfectly good ramen!"

Sighing, she scooped up a chuck with her chopsticks and stuck it in her mouth. "There, I ate some! Happy now?"

"When you finish it, yes. Kakashi can I question her now? I wanna know more about Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined, poking his sensei with a chopstick annoyingly.

The white-haired male's eyebrow twitched before he shook his head, "We have to wait another ten minutes so Tsunade-sama can call the group together. Once we're all gathered below her fort we'll have Sakura here, tell her story to everyone once so she doesn't have to repeat herself a million times in one day. Does that make sense to you Naruto?"

"Yeah, yeah I get it. I'm just impatient that's all!"

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly, "Trust me, we're all aware of that fact."

"Hmph. You don't have to say it like it's a bad thing," Naruto mumbled, pouting slightly.

"It is a bad thing Naruto. Haven't you heard the saying, 'Patience is a virtue'?"

"Um no? What does that mean?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.

Kakashi put a hand over his eyes and murmured under his breath, "Why did I have to get the dumbest student?"

"I heard that!"

"I wanted you to hear it. Now let me explain that saying. I'm only going to say it once though so listen closely," the silver-haired man began.

Naruto nodded eagerly, "I'm listening, I'm listening."

"Alright the saying means…you're an idiot."

"Sensei! That's so mean!" the blonde boy whined.

Kakashi chuckled at his own joke and waved him off, "I'm just having a little fun. But it is a common saying and I'm a little depressed that you don't know it. However, I don't care to explain it to you so you should just eat and learn to be patient for once in your life."

"Fine, but I'm not happy about it," Naruto mumbled, waving his hand for another bowl.

Sakura glanced back and forth between the duo and smiled to herself. It had been a very long time since she watched a teacher and student exchange. Back in her home town she didn't have anything like this. Sure there was school but teachers didn't get to know you personally. Kakashi obviously knew Naruto very well and spent a lot of time with him. It was nice to see them get along so well. On a more bitter note, it did make her feel a little lonely. 'My home life wasn't the best and until I met Gaara, I was alone a lot. He cured my loneliness once and now he has to do it all over again. I just hope he gets the opportunity to do so,' she mused, glancing up at the ceiling as memories began to flood her thoughts.

* * *

"_Care to explain to me one more time why you're waking me up so early again?" Gaara asked, opening his mouth wide enough to reveal his fangs as yet another yawn escaped him._

_Sakura giggled at his tiredness and patted his leg encouragingly, "Because we have to beat Kankuro to the TV today. You promised me you'd watch any movie I wanted if I stayed up later than you last yesterday and I did!"_

_Gaara frowned at his own shortcoming. It wasn't like him to fall asleep first but he had been super worn out that day. Sakura had pushed him all day into playing really weird games like DDR and Wii Fit. These were games he'd never even consider playing before she came into his life. Come to think of it, it was pretty clever of her to wear him out like that, especially if there was a competition to be won. _'Clever girl,'_ he thought fondly. _

"_Fine, what movie did you have in mind?" _

"_A walk to remember," she answered, holding the movie up for him to see._

_He turned the movie case around to see the back but didn't care enough to read it. "What's it about?"_

"_I'm not going to tell you cause you won't want to watch it if I do. Just come downstairs already!" she begged, grabbing his hand._

_Gaara smirked slightly at her weak attempt at pulling him out of bed. Humans were truly no match for vampires. "Calm down koi, I'm coming. You know I'm not a morning person so give me a few minutes to wake up, geez!"_

_Sakura smiled then leaned in a pecked him on the lips quickly, "Well hurry up! I'm gonna go claim the TV before Kankuro gets there."_

_The redhead watched her go with a faint smile on his lips._ 'She's lucky she's so cute otherwise I would never watch a chick flick. If there is a God, please don't let this movie be the reason I kill myself,_' he mentally begged, before sighing and sliding out of bed to follow after his female companion._

* * *

Sakura couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips that always followed that memory. Gaara had absolutely hated that movie because the female lead died at the end. He repeatedly pointed out that the movie was pointless and stupid because they don't get a happy ending together. It was pretty surprising that he wanted such an ending but the fit he threw about it was hilarious and unforgettable, especially when Kankuro overheard his ranting and still gave him crap about watching a chick flick. Those were truly good times.

"Did I say something funny Sakura-chan?" Naruto questioned, snapping her out of her memory-lapse.

"Hm? Oh no, sorry I was just remembering something funny. Is it time to go yet? It has to be about that time now," she answered, glancing out the window to see the darkness of the night begin to emerge.

Kakashi nodded and slowly got to his feet. "Yes we can head down to the ground floor if you'd like. Tsunade-sama will blow the horn soon."

Sakura took his outstretched hand once it was offered to her, and allowed him to help her to her feet. "Sounds good to me. I just want to get this over with."

The older male led her over to the doorway of the fort and handed her a rope, "It will all be over with soon. Slide down the rope and we'll meet you at the bottom."

Sliding down a rope was no easy task but Sakura had done it twice now since she's been there: once when Naruto just HAD to show her his house and once when Tenten wanted to dress her up in "better" clothing. This third time was much smoother and she landed almost perfectly on the forest floor.

Naruto landed beside her not a moment later and cracked his knuckles playfully, "Alright! Where's the party?"

"Um what party?" Sakura asked, confused now.

"You know! The party for you!" he answered, rolling his hand as if it was something everyone knew.

She shook her head, "I don't think the gathering is a party, Naruto. It's just so you all can figure out what happened in the demon lair and understand why they needed me alive in the first place."

"Closest thing we've had to a party all year," he mumbled, scratching his head.

A strong yet musical bellow came from nearby making the odd-colored duo glance around in awe. "Is that the call?" Sakura asked.

"That's it alright. Come," Kakashi answered, landing on her other side easily before heading for Tsunade's hut.

She followed him through the open woods to a decent sized clearing with a single tree in the dead center. The fort in this tree was massive with bright colored banners and flags. It was clear that someone important lived here and it made her a little nervous to meet this person. The rest of the demon hunters were all present and located in scattered groups around the tree. Sakura spotted Ino chatting away with a girl that had eyes that matched Neji's, who was currently standing near Gai-sensei and a boy that looked almost exactly like him! Tenten was kneeling on the ground petting a big white dog while a guy with a painted face talked animatedly above her. It was nice to see so many people she recognized but it wasn't going to make this process any easier.

"Sakura, please come to the front," a loud, feminine voice called out from the front of the group.

She gulped nervously but did as she was told and pushed through the group to stand at the front. There stood a blonde woman wearing a stern expression and an unwelcoming stare. This woman didn't look friendly at all and it only made Sakura feel more nervous about this entire situation.

"Welcome to my camp Sakura. My name is Tsunade and I am the leader of these demon hunters. I was informed that you were rescued from the demon lair earlier today by one of my men. I am pleased to see you unharmed and alive. The only problem with this situation is that fact that you are indeed unharmed. Demons don't take their time to do anything. You should be dead or near death right now and yet you are healthy. I find this to be worrisome and I'd like to know why you were kept alive. I'd like you tell your story to everyone here so it will only have to be told one time, if you'd please," the blonde woman explained before waving a hand to the crowd.

Sakura glanced out at the others and slowly replayed her opening line in her head before finally spitting it out, "Hello everyone. My name is Sakura and as I'm sure you've all heard by now that I was indeed rescued from the demon lair earlier today by one of your men. I'll explain what I can and tell you everything I know but it might not be enough. If you have questions just wait til the end and I'll answer what I can. That's all I wanted to say before I start this so…here's my story!"

* * *

"_I used to be scared of the dark when I was a kid," Sakura murmured, breaking the silence that had befallen the couple yet again. _

_Tonight Gaara had taken her to the roof where they stretched out and were now watching the stars. It was peaceful and almost romantic except that he wasn't the romantic type and was sitting almost two feet away from her. _

"…_Why?" he questioned, playing along._

"_Ghost stories. I used to hear about ghosts chasing children who stayed out at night or kidnapping them right off the street if you stayed out after dark. I never knew if they were true or not but as an eight-year-old girl, I became deathly afraid of the dark," she explained._

_He shook his head in rebuttal, "Humans are strange. Ghosts can't touch physical objects so how could they kidnap a human? If anything those stories should be about vampires, we're much scarier."_

"_You're not all that scary to me anymore, just like I grew out of my fear of the dark," she retorted, sticking her tongue out at him._

_In the blink of an eye, he was above her, pinning her to the rooftop. "I'm still scary. I have not lost my fangs, nor my speed, nor my strength. You should still fear me woman, for I am still vampire."_

_Her arms snaked around his neck making him stiffen a bit. "But you're my vampire, which makes you a lot less scary…" she breathed, smiling up at him prettily. _

_Gaara smirked then leaned down and kissed her lips softly before roaming downward to kiss her neck a bit. Just as she was getting into it, arching her back and clawing at him, he nipped the flesh making her swear under her breath and push him away._

"_What was that for?" she demanded, glaring at him._

"_It's just a reminder. Don't forget who I am koi. I might be nice to you but at the end of the day, I'm still a bloodsucker," he warned, his eyes glinting dangerously._

_Sakura grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him down to her level. "And you're a pretty hot one so let's get back to the kissing and leave out the biting. You can have that part later."_

_He chuckled at her feistiness before claiming her lips in a hungry kiss that lasted for most of the night…_

* * *

"And that's pretty much it! Neji carried me out the window and all the back here so I could tell you everything I just said. It probably wasn't very helpful but that's everything I know, sorry," Sakura finished, glancing at Tsunade for some kind of closure.

Tsunade was watching her closely, almost too closely. It was a bit intimidating to say the least. "So you're the demon prophecy, huh? We've heard about this legend as well but I never thought it would occur in my lifetime. I'm happy to know that all the female demons have died out but now I'm worried about your existence. You cause a bit of a problem for us."

"I don't think she's a problem milady, in fact, I think she could really help us," Kakashi piped up, stepping forward.

"Explain Kakashi," Tsunade encouraged.

He dipped his head before continuing on, "If the demons need her that badly then we should use her as bait. They will come for her no matter what so all we have to do is wait and ambush them when they come for her."

Sakura paled at this idea, 'I don't want to be bait! I don't even want to see another demon for as long as I live!'

"That's not a bad idea, actually. We could take them all out just like that! Hm…Shizune, Gai, Asuma, Kakashi, Kurenai, I want you all to meet in my hut at once. The rest of you are dismissed. Sakura you are welcome to stay with whomever you choose but I would advise you to not leave the safety of this camp. The demons will be lurking out there waiting for you," Tsunade explained, eyeing her again.

"I u-understand, thank you," Sakura mumbled, dipping her head quickly.

Tsunade nodded then led the way back up to her hut, leaving the group to slowly break apart.

"Wanna stay with me tonight?" Naruto asked, bouncing through the crowd to stand beside her.

"Don't stay with a boy Sakura, he's annoying too! You can stay with me, ok?" Tenten offered, coming to stand on her other side.

The blonde boy growled and poked and accusing finger at the brunette, "Hey Sakura-chan can stay with anyone she wants too! Who says she'll pick you over me, huh? I'm not annoying either!"

"Oh yes you are! You're so loud, even your snoring keeps me awake!" Tenten argued, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Snoring is a sign of happiness, thank you," he pointed out.

"It's also annoying."

"To you maybe."

"To everyone who has to deal with you, actually."

Sakura clapped her hands together twice, making the duo turn their attention on her. "Stop fighting, ok? Naruto no offense but I think I would rather stay with a girl. I've been stuck in that demon lair with nothing but guys for days. I want some feminine company now, ok? Don't be mad."

Naruto grinned cheekily and crossed his arms behind his head, which was turning out to be a trait of his, "Well when you put it that way how can I be mad? I feel bad that you picked her though! If I had to spend a night with a girl I would've picked someone quiet like Hinata."

"You would've picked Hinata regardless because you're crushing on her dummy," Tenten added, winking knowingly at Sakura.

The blonde sputtered and shook his head wildly, "I-I am not! She's cute sure, but demon hunters don't have time for dating!"

"He didn't deny that he likes her~!" Tenten sang, before grabbing Sakura's arm and leading her away.

"I don't!" Naruto yelled after them, trying to regain some form of dignity. Too bad he had yet to learn that women are always right.

* * *

"Oh yeah, I can smell demon all over this place," Kankuro commented as he landed on a thick tree branch above the ground.

Temari landed beside him and took a whiff. "I smell Sakura too. The rain made their scents very weak but we should still be able to track them."

Gaara was on the forest floor gazing around for any signs, any clues that there may have been a struggle. He found nothing. With a sigh, he turned to look up through the darkness at his siblings, "I know her scent better than you two so I'll lead the way."

"Ok but no attacking the demon lair without a plan, ok? We'll think of something along the way just don't do anything rash. We won't survive a fight on their territory and you know it," Temari warned, shuddering at the thought of taking them all on again.

"I might be thick-headed but I'm not dumb. I won't do anything until I know where she is and if she's still alive and well," he assured, waving them down.

The siblings landed beside him then Kankuro cracked his knuckles loudly and gave a chuckle, "I'm so excited to get some well-deserved revenge. Those demons are going down!"

Temari smacked him in the head making him growl at her. "No revenge yet! We can't take them all on alone, or wasn't last time proof enough of that? We need help taking out the demons but first we need to locate Sakura and make sure she's safe."

"And we need to see if she is there willingly or not," Gaara added, clenching his fists angrily.

"I honestly can't believe she went willingly into a demon's lair. Before meeting us she didn't even know that vampires existed! She was wary around us so I'm sure she'd be the same way around demons, especially a bunch of males," she explained, taking what she knew about Sakura and applying it to the situation.

She was right, of course. Sakura wasn't one to willingly enter a dangerous situation unless she knew the person, or vampire, very well. All signs were starting to point to her being tricked and led away by a deceiver. If this is the truth then she was being held captive, not there out of her own freewill. The thought of her being alone with a bunch of demons, probably scared and in danger, made Gaara growl at his own mistake._ 'She could've already been rescued and out of there by now if it wasn't for me being a dumbass! If anything has happened then it's all my fault for taking so long. Sakura…I'm sorry,'_ he thought, shaking his head sadly.

"Let's go before it gets too late. We have to find a cave or something close to the demon lair so we can stake it out tomorrow night. You wanted to lead, right Gaara?" Kankuro asked, snapping him from his thoughts.

Gaara nodded and pointed away from him, "They went this way. We'll set a rapid pace and get there an hour or two before dawn so we can search the perimeter for shelter."

The siblings nodded in agreement before Gaara bolted away, leaving them to chase after him. Tomorrow he would get the chance to figure out where she is and if she was ok. Tomorrow would answer all his questions and maybe even bring her back into his arms. With a faint smirk he thought_, 'Tomorrow Sakura, tomorrow I'll find you!'_

**(A/N: Ok there's chapter 21! Next time we'll have a bit more of Gaara. He's gonna be the main part of chapter 22 I think. Other than that, nothing really fun hapening til a few more chapters in. I'll get working on them though, I have nothing better to do anymore! Stupid boys and their heartbreak -.- Well, thanks again for reading and if you review I'll love you even more haha!)**


	23. Chapter 22, Gaara's Search

**(A/N: ...DON'T HATE ME! I'm sorry it has taken me soooooo long to write this! I keep forgetting I have this story and then I remember it and am all like, "Huh, maybe I should update that at some point in life". So here ya go! My external harddrive that had this whole story and my first rough draft of his chapter got in a car accident with me and got so beat up it won't work. I can retrieve the information off of it for $2,000 bucks according to Seagate but I don't have that kind of money and that's BS to the max yo! So I had to reread this story and rewrite this chapter but I did it all in two hours so BAM! Enjoy guys!)**

* * *

**Taste Tester**

_**C****hapter Twenty-Two: Gaara's Search**_

It was a little after sundown the following day when the vampire siblings emerged from their temporary shelter from the sun. It hadn't been too hard to find but the trio had barely gotten any sleep at all thanks to adrenaline, anxiety, and just pure worry. It had taken every ounce of Gaara's control to keep him from facing the deadly rays of the sun just to go get Sakura. They were so close and it was his stupid weakness to the sun that kept him from her side for yet another twelve-ish hours.

"Now remember Gaara, we're just scouting ok? No randomly attacking the entire coven. We won't win and you'll just be dying without getting the answers you desperately want. Keep your cool and listen, watch, and observe. We don't know where Sakura is but someone will definitely give it away. Sound good to you?" Temari explained, placing both hands on her hips intimidatingly.

The redhead lifted an eyebrow at her demands but nodded, "Even I know better than to run in headstrong. I'll listen, at least until I know where they're keeping her."

Kankuro patted him on the back and grinned, "I'm with you bro. When you attack, I'll be right at your side."

"Men, always so eager for a fight… Let's just go," Temari mumbled before racing off into the safety of the dark.

The demon lair wasn't more than a mile away from them. They had been seriously lucky to find a cave so close to their desired destination. The only obstacle now was keeping out of the demons' radar and staying hidden. They could not be spotted or their plans would be ruined. If the demons knew they were around, they would increase their defenses and make it that much harder to rescue Sakura.

"What the hell happened here?" Kankuro whispered, hiding up high in a tree overlooking the clearing that surrounding the ruined demon hideout.

The house looked worse for wear. It had several broken windows, doors, weapons littered the clearing, and the smell of blood still hung in the air. But it wasn't just demon blood they smelt, but human blood too. Lots of it.

"Were they attacked?" Temari questioned, mostly to herself.

Gaara's eyes narrowed curiously. "There is no creature that can challenge a demon besides a vampire. Something isn't right with this picture. Judging by the smell of human blood I would guess that humans attacked them, and did fairly well since there are no bodies lying about."

Kankuro snorted, "Yeah right, humans attacking demons? That's suicide."

"You have a better explanation?"

"Well no but it is completely insane, isn't it?" Kankuro mumbled in defense.

Temari rolled her eyes, "Shut up both of you. Look!"

The boys stopped their arguing to watch as a blonde demon exited the building with a familiar red haired demon. Gaara clenched his fists at the sight of them, _'Sasori and Deidara I believe. Fucking demons…'_ he mentally spat.

"Leader-sama has ordered for us to go after her as soon as we know who and what we're dealing with. Deidara since you failed in your task to keep the girl under our care, it's your job to go scout out our new enemies. Take a few newborns with you for extra protection and bring back whatever information you can. We cannot lose her, especially not to a bunch of humans. We will retrieve her, even if we have to slay an entire village in the process," Sasori ordered.

Deidara flinched under his gaze and nodded solemnly, "Yes Sasori."

"Don't return until you have plenty of information. Numbers, location, traps, weapons, and any other detail you can find. Only then will Leader-sama agree to see your face here once again."

"Y-yes Sasori, un."

The redhead turned up his nose to the miserable demon and headed back inside, leaving Deidara to clench his wounded arm and shuffle off to find some lackeys.

"So did anyone else hear that?" Kankuro asked, breaking the silence once the demons were out of hearing range.

Gaara nodded slowly, his mood increasing dramatically. "Sakura is alive and somewhere safe away from these demons."

Temari smiled at her brothers, "This is great news! Our chances of rescuing her are much higher now! Humans are way easier to fight than demons for sure."

"But these are no ordinary humans. They took on an entire demon coven. They are either very strong or very foolish. Regardless, they won and kidnapped Sakura. We have to find Sakura's scent, track it to the humans, and do exactly as Sasori stated: stay out of sight and get information. We have no idea what we're dealing with but we need to do this faster than the demons AND stay out of their range as well. Think you can handle this with me?" Gaara explained.

Kankuro smacked his shoulder smartly earning a growl from the younger vampire. "As if you could shake me off! I'm with you til the end little bro."

"I wouldn't think of leaving you two males to face all this alone. You definitely need a feminine brain around to keep you out of harm's way, well and to keep you two from killing each other. I'm in too," Temari replied, winking at him.

Gaara nodded curtly then stood up, "Fine, I'll track her scent and lead the way. We'll find them before long and hopefully figure out what we're up against before nightfall."

"Anything you say Gaara," Kankuro stated, jumping up as well.

"Track away hound dog," Temari added, getting to her feet,

The redhead glared at her before jumping down to the forest floor and scurrying through the trees, out of any demons' sights and as quickly as he could. He would find her scent in no time and maybe catch a glimpse of her before night fall. _'I hope!'_ he mentally shouted.

* * *

"And that's how you throw a kunai!" Naruto stated, proudly waving a hand toward the target at the end of the ten yard trench.

Sakura had been up with the younger demon hunters all day, watching them train and argue pretty much the entire day. Currently they were in a trench with two manmade rows with a big wooden target at the very end of each row. Naruto had insisted on teaching Sakura how to throw kunai's so he brought her down into this random deep trench with Tenten, Ino, and Kiba.

"You throw like a girl," Kiba taunted.

Ino clocked him in the head making him groan and hold his throbbing skull. "I can hit harder than you, moron. Watch what you say."

Tenten nodded and twirled her kunai skillfully, "I second that."

"Ugh, my bad."

Sakura smirked at Naruto who was still waiting for some acknowledgement. "That was impressive, Naruto. I must admit I've never seen anyone throw a dagger so far before! And so accurately!"

"Psh, that's no dagger and he didn't even hit the dead center! Watch this," Ino interjected, stealing Tenten's kunai to launch it down the second row, hitting the center perfectly.

"That's exactly what I did!" Naruto argued.

"No way, yours was spinning to the left the whole time."

"Wanna bet? We hit the same spot."

"I'll prove it, come here!" Ino snapped, running the target with the hyper blonde hot on her heels.

Tenten sighed in their absence, "I apologize for their competitiveness. Ino is hardheaded at times and Naruto is just dumb. They are entertaining to hang out with though."

"Oh I don't mind, I like playful teasing like that. I just got done living with three siblings who bickered all the time. It was fun to watch and sometimes even settle arguments. Must be something you get when you spend so much time with someone, huh?" Sakura replied.

"You lived with three siblings that weren't your own? Why would you willing enter a situation like that?" Kiba questioned, knowing that having one sister was far more than enough.

Sakura shook her head, "Well at first it wasn't willingly but I've really come to like them a lot. I hope to join their family one day but I have to find them first. I have no idea where their house is located from here though, and Tsunade won't let me leave until she's done using me as bait too."

"You're more than just bait Sakura, you're our friend now too! I'm sure you'll be back with your friends in no time. We just have to be patient," Tenten piped up.

Akamaru rubbed his giant body against the rosette female making her smile and pat his head gently, "I hope you're right Tenten. I miss them all a lot."

"Naruto sucks everyone!" Ino yelled, joining back up with them.

Naruto pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, "I do not! The target is tilted."

"Excuses. Anyway, it's getting kind of late out so I better head back to my house now. I'll catch you in the morning," Ino stated before jumping out the trench.

"She has the right idea, we have been up training most of the day. I'll take Akamaru back home and get a decent night's rest for once. See you later guys. Bye Sakura," Kiba said, before jumping onto Akamaru's back and riding off into town.

Tenten scratched the back of her neck worriedly, "I suppose it is kind of dangerous to be out in the forest this late at night. Not that I doubt my skills as a hunter but I don't want to face a hoard of demons with only Naruto at my side. I'll probably die that way and Sakura will get kidnapped all over again!"

"I'm not dead weight ya know!" Naruto whined.

"Says you…" she mumbled.

Sakura glanced around at the dark trees above their heads, hoping distantly for a glimpse of her favorite vampire._ 'Are you nearby Gaara? Have you come to find me yet?_' she wondered.

"Grab my hand Sakura," Naruto said, offering her his hand to pull her out of the trench.

She hadn't even noticed he had climbed out but she accepted his offer and allowed him to pull her out of the trench with Tenten right behind her. "So home then?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm starving!" Naruto replied, patting his stomach.

"You're always hungry. Let's hit the ramen shop before bed, what do you say Sakura?" Tenten suggested.

"Sounds good to me."

Naruto cheered and raced ahead of them toward the lit village.

As they neared the entrance, a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows to meet them. "Tenten you know better than to keep our guest out so late. What if she had been spotted and kidnapped?" Neji scolded, glowering at her.

Tenten frowned at her old teammate, "I'm sorry Neji, I didn't realize it had gotten so late."

"Don't yell at her, I'm to blame too!" Naruto interrupted.

"But you don't have any brains, she does. I was five seconds from coming to retrieve her myself," Neji pointed out.

The blonde boy gasped in outrage but Sakura stepped forward before he could explode, "The point is that I'm here now and safe. Can we just get inside before I really am kidnapped or something?"

The pearl-eyed man stared at her for a moment then nodded, "Of course. You go right inside, I'll scold these two for a moment longer."

Sakura opened her mouth to argue but Tenten shook her head, "Just go Sakura. He's a tight-ass but I've dealt with his lethal mouth for years."

Neji snorted at the insult but Sakura only sighed and did as she was told. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Gaara took in the sight before him in silent glee. Standing at the very edge of the village was Sakura, alive and well. She seemed perfectly at ease with the group around her and looked relaxed, but he had expected this since she was among humans rather than filthy demons now.

"Sakura!" Temari exclaimed as quietly as she could.

"Well I'll be damned, I honestly didn't think we'd get to see her since this is the closest we can get," Kankuro commented.

Gaara wanted nothing more than to race down there and scoop her up in his arms right this second but he knew he'd be dead before his feet even touched the ground. There were traps everywhere, not to mention human guards all over the woods. It was miracle they had gotten this close but for now they could remain in this spot until the humans patrolled this area.

"So what now? We know she's alive and looks unharmed but these humans don't look too friendly. If we randomly walked up they would probably kill us on sight," Temari explained.

"We're not going to do anything tonight. All I wanted was a glimpse and I got it. Now I have to somehow get her away from the village long enough to at least talk to her and figure out what our next action will be. I don't just want to save her, I want those demons dead. They will forever come after her until she dies so we need them dead right away and we can't do that alone," Gaara answered.

Kankuro cocked his head to the side, "Do you think they'll willingly work with vampires to kill them all?"

"I have no idea but it doesn't hurt to find out. But to do so I need Sakura's help. I have to leave a message for her somehow to meet us tomorrow night. Temari, do you have any ideas?"

"Hmm…well we could carve her name in a tree or something? Or maybe your name? But it has to be somewhere she'll find it," Temari offered.

Kankuro snapped his fingers. "How about multiple trees?"

"She would definitely see the message then," Temari agreed.

The redhead nodded slowly, "Alright, Temari you mark two trees south of the town, Kankuro two trees to the north and I'll mark one on the east and one on the west. Pick good trees, one that she couldn't miss if she wanted too."

"And don't be seen Kankuro," Temari warned.

The painted vampire rolled his eyes, "Even I'm not dumb enough to be caught by humans."

"We'll see. Meet back here in a few," Gaara ordered before dropping to the ground and running off to fight some trees.

It seemed like a silly plan but only Sakura knew his name so marking the trees with his name would mean nothing to the other humans here. They might be thoroughly confused but they wouldn't understand the message like she would. It was a message only for her and hopefully she would see it by tomorrow, that way by tomorrow night she would be in his arms once again.

_'I look forward to that more than anything else in the world. I will hold you again Sakura, I swear it,'_ he vowed mentally, before slashing his name into the tree before him.

The demons hadn't located the village yet so Gaara wasn't worried about them seeing him just yet. They had left their coven not long after the vampires but newborns had their own directives and randomly ran off from time to time, leaving Deidara to chase after them and delay his mission longer than he would've liked. It sounded silly but it was going to help Gaara and his siblings out very well in the long run. Every minute Deidara was delayed, was a minute Gaara could devote to Sakura's rescue, and that is something very, very valuable to him.

* * *

"Ok, I'm officially full. No more ramen will fit in my stomach for at least five or six hours," Naruto announced, leaning back on his chair.

"You're such a pig Naruto. Eight bowls?! That's inhuman," Tenten remarked.

The blonde boy turned his nose up at her. "You don't have to pay for it so quit your nagging."

"I still had to watch that horrific scene. I'm scarred for life now, thanks," she mumbled.

"Nag, nag, nag, nag, nag!"

Sakura giggled and pushed her bowl aside, "You don't get along with anyone here, do you Naruto?"

"Actually no one gets along with ME. I'm very enjoyable to be around," he replied.

"Said no one ever." Tenten piped up.

Neji rubbed his forehead tiredly, "You two act like children."

"And you act like a cranky old man," Naruto countered.

"It's called maturity. Do it."

Tenten yawned and stretched high above her head, "Well that's all I can take for the night. I'm calling it quits. Sakura, you coming home with me?"

"Actually I was hoping to stay with Naruto tonight."

The group stared at her in shock, even Neji looked surprised. "Are you serious?" Tenten asked.

"If Naruto is ok with it, yeah," Sakura answered determinedly.

"Hell yeah I'm ok with it! I'll sleep on my pull-out mat and you can have my bed! It'll be my first sleepover since my last mission!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.

Neji shook his head, "If you had any sense you'd stay as far away from his house as possible, Sakura."

"Well I need to talk to him so staying with him is my best option. Besides, I like Naruto so far! I'm sure overtime he can become super annoying but I don't plan on being here long enough for that to happen. I'll see you all in the morning though. Goodnight guys," Sakura stated, dipping her head politely.

"Night," Tenten murmured, watching the couple leave the shop.

"You really want to talk to me Sakura? What about?" Naruto question, not even two seconds after exiting the shop.

The rosette shrugged, "Let's wait til we're in your house before I say too much about it. I just have a feeling you'll understand my situation better than anyone else in the village. I need someone I can trust with my secret."

"Oh man, I get to know one of Sakura's secrets! Let's hurry!" Naruto urged, taking her hand and running to his house near the entrance.

Naruto lived alone in his tree-fort without much of anything. The interior was pretty empty except for a bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen. It didn't seem possible to cook anything up in a tree or go to the bathroom for that matter but she'd learn all about that in time, if she got curious enough. Right now she just wanted to get this off her chest.

"Ok so I'll sleep here on this mat and you can have my bed, which is right in here…Um, let me clean it quick. Stay in here," Naruto said hurriedly, pushing her back out of the bedroom before she could get a good look at the inside.

She didn't mind a messy house; it was how it chose to live and she wouldn't say anything of it. But if it made him feel better to clean it quick then who was she to judge?

"All better! Just some laundry that needed to be moved. Come on, let's sit on the bed and you can tell me your secret," Naruto piped up from the bedroom.

Sakura entered the dimly lit bedroom and stepped over clothes to sit beside him on the surprisingly big bed. "Ok, what I'm about to tell you, you can't tell anyone else. I need help from someone inside the village and I need someone who can trust me and that I can trust. I want to help you guys defeat those demons but I have something I need to do first before I become bait."

"Sure, what do you need to do?"

"I need to find someone, a friend of mine. I was living with him and his family right before I was kidnapped. He has no idea what really happened and probably hates me right now. I have to make things right and then I'll help you guys out in any way I can."

He nodded in understanding before pointing at her. "Your boyfriend?"

She blushed and shook her head, "I-I don't think we're dating but I do like him a lot. I left on bad terms and I just want to see him and clear things up before things get critical with the demons."

"Do you have to leave the village to see him?" he asked, knowing that getting her out of the village would be pretty difficult.

"Maybe. I'm sure he's nearby, if not right outside the village now. He's probably been following me since I was kidnapped, just wanting answers but I haven't been able to give him any. The last time I switched places it was daytime and that was when Neji saved me from the demons and brought me here. Gaara couldn't have witnessed that so he might be even more confused right now," Sakura explained.

Naruto was really confused now. "Wait, daytime? Can't he come out in the daylight?"

"Well no, and this is where you learn my secret. See Gaara….he kinda, sorta, might be a vampire."

**(A/N: Ok so that's chapter 22, now I just have to get my ass in gear and finish this damn story :P I don't have a laptop right now either cuz that broke in California so I'm only able to write when I'm at my parent's house once every two weeks or so :\ Not good odds I know but hey at least I got one chapter out! Hope you liked it, next chapter is the big REUNION! Don't miss it, keep checking for updates, review, and please continue to love me ;) I promise I'll continue updating til this story is finished, I will NOT leave it hanging! Trust me my lovely readers and I will honor your trust with more chapters and more SakuxGaa. Thanks again everyone!)**


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